The interior ministers of the European Union will meet extraordinarily on November 25 to discuss the situation in «all migratory routes» to common territory; a discussion that is formally part of the search for common solutions but is the result of pressure from France to address the situation in the Mediterranean, after its pulse with Italy for the rescue of more than 200 migrants on the ship ‘Ocean Viking’.
«Ministers will address the current situation on all routes,» the Czech presidency of the European Union has reported in a brief statement that gives no further details of the agenda and that comes after the European Commission urged in recent days to convene an urgent meeting to discuss an «action plan» to avoid new episodes such as the disagreement between Rome and Paris.
The Community Executive is finalizing a document that it hopes to present at the beginning of next week, European sources have told Europa Press, and which is designed to cover «the entire central Mediterranean route» beyond the issue of disembarkations – which are a national competence – for example to achieve better control of the border with the collaboration of third countries.
The objective is that the ministers can examine the proposal in a meeting of Twenty-seven to which, to start with, many of the countries resisted, understanding that concrete objectives were lacking to meet urgently, more having an ordinary council of ministers of the Interior of the EU foreseen for next December 8.
However, most of the partners have shown flexibility in understanding that the migration issue is a European issue that therefore requires a European response and see in the open crisis between France and Italy an «evidence» of how necessary it is to unblock the reform of the asylum policy and move forward the Migration Pact that has been negotiated for two years without much progress.
Moreover, for some partners concerned about other routes, such as the Balkans, or under pressure from the front line of entry, such as Spain, they see in this call the opportunity to «broaden the focus» beyond the disembarkation of migrants rescued at sea and raise the debate to the other pillars of the common migratory police.
PULSE BETWEEN FRANCE AND ITALY The new Italian government of the far-right Giorgia Meloni denied for days the authorization to ‘Ocean Viking’ of SOS Mediterranée despite the fact that its coasts were the closest safe port to the boat with more than 200 migrants rescued from the sea.
The ship finally had to change course due to the extreme situation of the people on board and was able to disembark in France, a country that reacted by suspending a plan to take in 3,500 refugees arriving in Italy.
During this crisis, the European Commission limited itself to recalling that it is a «moral duty» and a «legal obligation» for Member States to assist migrants in distress on the high seas, regardless of the circumstances in which they arrived there.
Brussels also called for the urgent disembarkation of the boat’s occupants but made it clear that the designation of the safe harbor is a circumstance that does not fall within its competence.
