Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2023
513. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the extent to which a report was made available at the European Council meeting which he attended with regard to the refugee situation in Europe involving loss of life at sea. [32745/23]
View answerPresident of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote to all Member States in advance of the European Council on the topic of migration, addressing the recent tragic loss of life in the Mediterranean, as well as the need to make progress on a number of fronts to ensure that people do not continue to undertake perilous journeys to reach the European Union.
The letter provided an update on actions carried out since the European Council reached their conclusions on migration in February, and they acknowledged that migration is a European challenge that requires a European response. President von der Leyen urged all Member States to work together to ensure momentum can be maintained or accelerated.
The recent progress achieved at the meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on 8 June 2023, where agreement was reached within the Council on two important legislative elements of the proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum was noted. As the Deputy is likely aware, Ministers reached agreement on the Asylum Procedures Regulation and the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, which will now move into negotiations with the European Parliament with a view to being adopted next year. The two measures will introduce new procedures for asylum in the EU, including new border procedures for certain applicants and will introduce a new solidarity mechanism to ensure that Member States who are unduly affected as a result of migratory flows can be adequately supported by their European counterparts through relocations or financial contributions.
President von der Leyen highlighted the urgency in continuing to fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in order to break the business model of the criminal enterprises who profit from such activities. Achieving this aim will require progress on many different fronts in both the internal and external dimensions of migration, including in intensifying work with key partner countries or origin and transit to limit irregular departures. My Department, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs, are engaging at EU level on those issues.
There is a recognition that alternative safe and legal pathways into the EU must be further provided for and my Department engages with colleagues in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to this end. The letter also noted that the European Commission is working closely with Member States to address the challenges related to search and rescue in the Mediterranean Sea.
Like President von der Leyen, I welcome the progress made but it must be noted that despite efforts at EU level over the past number of years to address the situation of irregular migration into the EU, the number of arrivals has continued to rise. It is clear that more needs to be done, and I am committed to working with Government and EU colleagues to ensure safe, orderly migration in full compliance with human and fundamental rights.
