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Asylum and migration: Main results of the EU Home Affairs Council

Sep 29, 2023 , , , ,

Brussels, 28 September 2023

Asylum and migration: external dimension

Against the backdrop of high numbers of irregular arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers across the entire EU, the Council discussed ways to build a close and permanent collaboration with key migratory transit and origin countries.

Ministers supported the need to strengthen the external dimension of EU migration policy in order to face the migratory challenges the EU shares with other continents and countries. They emphasised that a coordinated combination of development assistance to fight against the root causes of migration, the fight against migrant smuggling, the development of more legal pathways as an alternative to illegal migration and a sustainable readmission and return policy would be essential to prevent irregular migration.

The discussion evolved around developing a preventive model which, based on solid funding, would hinder irregular departures. It would be rooted in cooperation with countries of origin and transit and include elements such as joint patrols, joint operational centres, sustained cooperation over time and the development of orderly, regular and safe migration pathways.

External migration policy requires comprehensive partnerships with some of our immediate neighbours and dialogues on migration and mobility with partners further afield. The EU’s external migration policy needs a more preventive approach in order to effectively address the structural challenges in the countries of origin and transit.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, acting Spanish minister of the interior

Pact on Migration and Asylum

The presidency provided ministers with an update on the different legislative files of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The presidency also reiterated its commitment to comply with the goal set in the Roadmap agreed between the 5 Rotating Presidencies, the European Parliament and the European Commission in September 2022, to reach an agreement on the Pact files before the end of the current legislative term.

The presidency also expressed its satisfaction with the wide support shown by delegations regarding the latest compromise text on the crisis regulation and expressed its confidence that a negotiating mandate could be reached shortly within the Council.

After the 2015 migration crisis, member states have negotiated a number of EU laws to reform the common European asylum system. Once adopted, these various EU laws currently under negotiation will result in a common framework dealing with all aspects of asylum and migration management. There will be more solidarity for member states where most migrants arrive, more sharing of responsibility and there will be clearer rules for the management of persons seeking international protection. At the same time, the Pact will establish more efficient and fairer procedures for those persons in need of international protection, as well as for those who are not in need of such protection.

Overall, the Spanish presidency highlighted the significant progress made so far, but also the important work still to be carried out in the interinstitutional negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament on the different files of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Cooperation with Latin America on internal security

The Council addressed the cooperation with Latin American countries on internal security aspects and especially the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking. This agenda point was preceded by a working lunch of EU ministers with ministers of the Latin American Committee on Internal Security (CLASI) where they discussed matters of mutual interest in relation to the fight against cross-border serious and organised crime.

EU minister and minister from the CLASI countries agreed on a joint declaration. It underlines the need to join forces in order to provide responses to the criminal threats EU and Latin American countries are facing. The declaration also stresses the need to – among other things – build effective capacities to fight illicit trafficking of drugs, trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants and to increase cooperation between European and Latin American agencies.

Cooperation between the EU and Latin American countries to fight organised crime is key. Today’s exchange with ministers of the Latin American Committee on Internal Security is an important moment to boost our interregional partnership.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez, Spanish acting minister of the interior

Temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees

In order to provide certainty for more than 4 million displaced people from Ukraine currently living in the EU, the Council agreed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine from 4 March 2024 to 4 March 2025. The temporary protection mechanism was activated on 4 March 2022 – only a few days after Russian armed forces launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine – and it was automatically extended by one year. It was a huge act of solidarity by EU member states and citizens to provide them with shelter. The EU showed its solidarity with the displaced persons and with the member states through a flexible system of responsibility sharing.

The system provides immediate and collective (i.e. without the need for the examination of individual applications) protection to displaced persons from Ukraine who are not in a position to return to Ukraine.

Infographic – Refugees from Ukraine in the EU

See full infographic

Consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

The presidency, through a brief by the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, gave a state-of-play on the internal security dialogue with Ukraine. This dialogue has been put in place since the start of Russia’s war of aggression in order to mitigate its potential implications for the EU’s internal security. Challenges that are discussed include border security and firearms trafficking.

Other business

The Portuguese minister informed delegations on the 2nd Euro-Arab border security conference which will take place in Porto on 15 and 16 November.

‘A’ items

The Council adopted a decision on the conditions for Norway, Iceland and Switzerland to participate in the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF-BMVI Fund) for the period 2021 to 2027, hence strengthening the Schengen area as a whole.

Meeting information
  • Meeting n°3971
  • Brussels
  • 28 September 2023
Preparatory documents
Outcome documents
Press releases

 

EU Commission Statement on the political agreement in the Council on the Crisis Proposal – New Pact on Migration and Asylum

The European Commission welcomes the successful political agreement reached today, 4 October, by the Member States on the Regulation addressing situations of Crisis and Force Majeure in the field of migration and asylum.

This is a key element of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum that is now agreed, after a general approach was reached in June on two main pillars of the Pact: the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation and the Asylum Procedure Regulation.

This political agreement paves the way for the start of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council also on this legislative proposal. The Crisis Regulation will ensure that the EU is prepared in the future to face situations of crisis. It will contribute to the overall objective of the Pact to create a fairer, more efficient, and sustainable system for asylum and migration management.

President Ursula von der Leyen said: “I welcome the successful political agreement reached by the Member States on the Crisis Proposal. This is a real game changer that allows us to advance negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. United we can deliver on the Pact before the end of this mandate.”

The Commission stands ready to continue working with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure agreement on the Pact by the end of this legislative mandate.

For More Information

Statement on the political agreement on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum

Statement from Commission on the co-legislators’ Roadmap on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum

New Pact on Migration and Asylum

Quote(s)

I welcome the successful political agreement reached by the Member States on the Crisis Proposal. This is a real game changer that allows us to advance negotiations with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. United we can deliver on the Pact before the end of this mandate.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission – 04/10/2023

 

Asylum and migration: MEPs welcome Council’s readiness to start negotiations on the Crisis Regulation

    The European Parliament announces the resumption of negotiations on Eurodac and Screening Regulations, after the agreement in the Council on the Crisis Regulation proposal.

    The European Parliament decided on 20 September 2023 to pause negotiations on Eurodac and Screening Regulations in the absence of a Council mandate on the Crisis Regulation. Following today’s agreement among member states on this mandate, both institutions can now engage in negotiations on all legislative proposals of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

    The Asylum Contact Group Chair Elena Yoncheva (S&D, BG), made the following statement:

    “We welcome the agreement in Council on this key legislative proposal. I would like to thank the Spanish Presidency for all their efforts in seeking a negotiating position over the last months. The reform of the European Union’s asylum and migration policy, to which we committed together with the Council in a Joint Roadmap, is only possible if we have a predictable EU mechanism for supporting Member States in crisis situations, based on solidarity and a fair share of responsibility.

    In view of the agreement in Council, the European Parliament will resume interinstitutional negotiations on the Eurodac and Screening Regulations and we once again confirm our commitment to finalise the reform before the current political cycle. While we recognise the differences between the positions of the Council and the European Parliament, we trust that our negotiating team will make all efforts to strike the right balance and find effective solutions.”

    Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES), Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and rapporteur for the Crisis Regulation and, said:

    “The European Parliament said it loud and clear: there will be no Pact without a fair balance between solidarity and responsibility. Now that the Council has finally delivered its position on the last missing piece of the New Pact, both co-legislators will be able to start negotiations in order to set up a European framework to deal with migratory crisis. We need the Crisis regulation to materialise the solidarity that EU countries have been calling on for too long.”

    Background

    As agreed in the joint roadmap in September 2022, the adoption of a new legislative framework for migration and asylum represent a top priority in the work of the European Parliament with a view to adopting the legislative proposals before the June 2024 European elections.

    Further information

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