Filenews 20 December 2024 - by Andreas Pibishis
A group of European Union leaders, including the President of Cyprus, held a separate meeting in the margins of the European Council to specifically discuss migration. This group, which was set up at the initiative of Italy, includes both Cyprus and Greece as well as other countries seeking solutions to the problem.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on social media that on the sidelines of the European Council, "together with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, and of the Netherlands, Dick Schoof, I promoted a new informal meeting between some of the member states most interested in the issue of innovative solutions to be implemented in migration management phenomenon and in particular the strengthening of the legal framework for returns".
Together with Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and the European Commission, the leaders of Cyprus, Greece, Malta, the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden and Hungary attended the meeting.
According to J.'s post. "In addition to supporting the swift presentation and finalisation of the new legislative proposal, I focused on the relevance of innovative solutions to fight irregular migration, in particular to disrupt the 'business model' by human smugglers." The Italian prime minister's effort aims at the same time to find solutions that allow European reception efforts to focus on those who are truly entitled to international protection.
On this occasion, the Commission presidency also presented the main work streams mentioned in last Monday's migration letter, focusing on the proposal for a new legal framework on returns that the Commission intends to present in the first months of 2025.
The discussion focused on the need for an increasingly clear and effective European regulatory framework with, in particular, strengthening the concepts of safe country of origin and safe third country to support innovative solutions, starting with the Italy-Albania model and the possible creation of "return hubs" in third countries. Particular interest was also aroused in strengthening European action along migration routes with UNHCR and IOM on the issue of assisted voluntary returns.
The participating leaders agreed to remain in close contact with a view to strengthening and increasing the effectiveness of the European Union's migration policy.
