The European Commission has detailed its priorities for addressing the ongoing challenges of irregular migration ahead of an EU migration summit.
The EU migration summit will be held today (28 June) in Brussels, Belgium, and aims to find a long term solution to the ongoing challenge of undocumented migrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, in what German Chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested could be a defining moment for the EU.
Merkel has faced criticism in her own country for allowing more than one million migrants into the country, and is under pressure to develop a new approach. Many EU member states take opposing stances on addressing the migrant crisis, and the upcoming summit looks set to try to draw these conflicts out in pursuit of a unified solution.
What efforts might the EU take to tackle irregular migration?
Among the areas where the EU is seeking to make progress are:
- Reform on asylum legislation and the process of making applications;
- Changes to border management policies and structures;
- Increased funding to stem irregular migration, including for the EU facility for refugees in Turkey; and
- Greater regional co-operation on disembarkation.
If proposed reforms are agreed and adopted, some could enter into force as soon as next month, while others could be implemented before the end of the year.
Most member states agree that additional funding will be necessary to create a comprehensive solution to the problem, and the European Commission has proposed additional funding in a number of areas, where the greatest targeted impact could be made.
This includes a proposal to triple funding for migration and border management in the upcoming multiannual financial framework from €13bn to almost €35bn for the period 2021-2027. This includes €21.3bn for strengthening border management including the creation of a new, dedicated Integrated Border Management Fund.
