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EU Unveils 5-Point Plan to Counter Sudden Mass Border Surges
(MENAFN) The European Commission on Tuesday put forward a five-point plan to help the bloc prevent and respond to sudden, large-scale irregular arrivals at its external borders.
The proposal comes after a surge in arrivals in Ceuta this summer. According to a Commission statement, the episode showed how quickly an emergency can develop, even though irregular border crossings are at their lowest level since 2021.
The plan rests on five pillars: stronger cooperation with partner countries, reinforced external borders, improved early warning systems, action against migrant smuggling networks and more effective returns.
Emergency framework
Central to the package is a new European Emergency Response Framework for situations in which mass movements of people are “engineered and weaponised.”
The Commission also intends to propose a stronger mandate for the EU border agency Frontex, including personnel and equipment that can be deployed immediately, as well as a bigger role in returns.
Early warning and smuggling
To sharpen early warning, the Commission wants Frontex to be able to monitor social media in connection with external border management. It also urged member states to promptly report developments affecting the borders through the EU's surveillance system, EUROSUR.
The plan calls for closer cooperation with online platforms and financial institutions to detect smuggling activity and illicit financial flows. It further presses the Council to adopt a proposed sanctions regime that would allow asset freezes and travel bans against migrant smugglers.
Returns
On returns, the Commission called for deeper cooperation with countries of origin and transit on readmission, along with wider use of Frontex support.
“We will reinforce our foundation of strong external borders, effective migration diplomacy, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, and credible returns,” said EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner.
The plan will be presented to member states at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting Oct. 1-2.
The proposal comes after a surge in arrivals in Ceuta this summer. According to a Commission statement, the episode showed how quickly an emergency can develop, even though irregular border crossings are at their lowest level since 2021.
The plan rests on five pillars: stronger cooperation with partner countries, reinforced external borders, improved early warning systems, action against migrant smuggling networks and more effective returns.
Emergency framework
Central to the package is a new European Emergency Response Framework for situations in which mass movements of people are “engineered and weaponised.”
The Commission also intends to propose a stronger mandate for the EU border agency Frontex, including personnel and equipment that can be deployed immediately, as well as a bigger role in returns.
Early warning and smuggling
To sharpen early warning, the Commission wants Frontex to be able to monitor social media in connection with external border management. It also urged member states to promptly report developments affecting the borders through the EU's surveillance system, EUROSUR.
The plan calls for closer cooperation with online platforms and financial institutions to detect smuggling activity and illicit financial flows. It further presses the Council to adopt a proposed sanctions regime that would allow asset freezes and travel bans against migrant smugglers.
Returns
On returns, the Commission called for deeper cooperation with countries of origin and transit on readmission, along with wider use of Frontex support.
“We will reinforce our foundation of strong external borders, effective migration diplomacy, the Pact on Migration and Asylum, and credible returns,” said EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner.
The plan will be presented to member states at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting Oct. 1-2.
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