Category Archives: EU and EU Organizations

by | 24 Feb 2011 · 20:48

JHA Council: Commission is Studying Different Funding Possibilities to Assist with Impact of Migratory Flows from North Africa

A Justice and Home Affairs press release summarizing today’s JHA Council meeting includes the following brief summary regarding the topic of migratory flows from North Africa:

“Over lunch, ministers discussed the situation in Northern Africa, and particularly the situation in Libya and the influx of migrants, above all from Tunisia to Italy. Since the beginning of the year, some 6000 immigrants have arrived mainly to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Following a formal request for help from the Italian Ministry of Interior, received on February 15, Frontex and Italy have started a Joint Operation in the central Mediterranean area on Sunday 20 February. Joint Operation Hermes 2011, originally planned to commence in June, was thus brought forward. Assets and experts for this operation were made available from a large number of EU member states. More information.  In addition to that, the Commission is studying different funding possibilities through various EU instruments, such as the European Refugee Fund, the European Return Fund and the European Border Fund.”

It is unclear whether the JHA Council will address this topic further tomorrow when the Council meeting resumes.

Click here for full JHA press release.

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by | 24 Feb 2011 · 16:48

ALDE: EU must be fully prepared for dealing with migrants fleeing persecution in Libya

ALDE issued a press release earlier today.  Excerpts:  “[T]he European Union must seek urgently prevent a humanitarian disaster but also prepare a contingency plan for the possible mass flux of refugees fleeing the country and seeking temporary sanctuary across the Mediterranean. Renate Weber MEP (PNL, Romania), Liberal Group spokesperson on the Justice and Home Affairs committee commented: ‘[***] It is appalling that while thousands of people are being killed, the EU is failing to show the unity and determination to force Gaddafi out due to some EU governments’ reluctance to jeopardise lucrative business deals with Libya and fears of massive migrant flows. If we are faced with a large scale influx of Libyans seeking humanitarian protection then the EU and its Member States will have to apply EU values and laws in force governing such circumstances, including international conventions, related to the protection of the life and the rights of refugees.  Art. 78.3 of the Treaty, specifically provides for the granting of temporary protection and provisional measures in case of the sudden influx of migrants. Anything else would be a dereliction of our international duty.’”

Click here for full statement.

 

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by | 24 Feb 2011 · 07:17

Italy, France, Spain, Malta, Cyprus Call for Redistribution of Asylum Seekers

The Ministers of the Interior of Italy, France, Spain, Malta and Cyprus met in Rome on Wednesday in advance of today’s JHA Council meeting and agreed to ask the EU for assistance in regard to the expected flow of migrants from North Africa.  The Ministers will call for the creation of a special EU fund to provide financial support to the frontline states directly affected by significant numbers of migrants and for the redistribution or relocation of asylum seekers among all EU member states so that the states of first arrival do not experience an unfair burden.  Michele Cercone, spokesperson for Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, noted that current European standards do not provide a mechanism for the redistribution between member states of migrants seeking asylum, other than on a voluntary basis.

Click here (IT) for article.

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by | 24 Feb 2011 · 07:12

Barroso Criticises Italy’s Use of Migration Issue to Not Support Democracy in North Africa

From the EU Observer:  “Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi is friends with Gaddafi…  Italy also has major oil, gas and arms interests in Libya and it fears a ‘biblical exodus’ of hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants and refugees if Gaddafi snaps.  The head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, on Wednesday made an implicit criticism of Italian policy. ‘This question of migration, or of illegal migration, or even of refugees, is sometimes used as a way of not supporting democracy and I do not agree with that,’ [Barroso] said after meeting a top UN human rights official in the EU capital.”

Click here (EN) and here (IT) for articles.

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by | 24 Feb 2011 · 05:55

JHA Council Meets 24-25 Feb – Meeting Topics Include North African Migrants, EASO, Greek Asylum Reform, EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement, and Frontex 2011 Work Programme

The two day JHA Council meeting begins today in Brussels.  According to the Background Note, “ministers will discuss the major influx of migrants from Northern Africa, particularly from Tunisia, to Southern EU member states, especially Italy. They will also look at the state of play on three other important internal border and migration issues:  the implementation of Greece’s National Action Plan on Migration Management and Asylum Reform; [and] the EU-Turkey readmission agreement. In this context, the Communication will present an evaluation and future strategy for EU readmission agreements;…  Ministers will then have exchange of views with the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as with the Executive Director of the recently established European Asylum Support Office (EASO).”  Additionally, “FRONTEX will present to the committee its work programme for 2011.”

Click here for Background Note and here for Agenda.

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by | 23 Feb 2011 · 05:30

Italy Warns that 300,000 Migrants May Seek to Flee Libya; Tunisians Continue to Reach Lampedusa in Moderate Numbers

After a meeting yesterday of the Prime Minister and the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence,  Economy, Labour, Justice, and Interior, the government formed a standing committee to follow the crisis in Libya (“un comitato permanente sulla crisi libica”).  The committee will monitor the flow of migrants to Italy.  According to reports in the Italian press, the Italian Government believes that between 200,000-300,000 migrants may seek to reach Italy if conditions in Libya continue to worsen.  Three Italian naval ships, the San Marco, San Giorgio and Mimbelli, have been moved close to Libya in order to be ready to assist with the evacuation of Italian citizens should it become necessary.  Tunisian migrants continue to arrive in Lampedusa.  Over the past day approximately 200 arrived.

Click here, here, and here for articles. (IT)

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by | 23 Feb 2011 · 03:45

Jusqu’à quand la politique migratoire de l’UE, va-t-elle s’appuyer sur les dictatures du sud de la Méditerranée?

Migreurop: “Depuis le début des années 2000, l’Union européenne et ses États membres se sont appuyés sur les régimes du sud de la Méditerranée pour externaliser leur politique d’asile et d’immigration. Face aux révoltes populaires en Afrique du Nord et au Moyen-Orient, leurs réactions montrent que la « défense de la démocratie » et la « non ingérence » ne sont que rhétoriques quand il s’agit de réaffirmer les impératifs d’une fermeture des frontières attentatoire aux droits fondamentaux….”

Cliquez ici (FR) ou ici (ES) pour la déclaration complète.

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 19:45

Catherine Ashton Announces Suspension of Negotiations on EU-Libya Framework Agreement

A statement released today by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton at the conclusion of her meetings in Egypt includes the following:

“Regarding specific action on Libya, we are looking forward to the meeting of UN Security Council. It will address the situation in Libya later today and will discuss all options, including restrictive measures. For my part, I have called a meeting of EU Ambassadors to look at what the European Union can do to support the UN and what measures it can take. As the situation stands, we have suspended negotiations on EU-Libya Framework Agreement. We are coordinating closely with Member States in Brussels, in New York and in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council, where I will be myself on Monday.”

Click here for full statement.

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 19:28

32% of Libya’s 2009 Oil Exports Went to Italy

From the US Energy Information Administration:

2009 Libyan Oil Exports:  “With domestic consumption of 280,000 bbl/d in 2009, Libya had estimated net exports (including all liquids) of 1.5 million bbl/d. According to 2009 official trade data as reported to the Global Trade Atlas, the vast majority of Libyan oil exports are sold to European countries like Italy (425,000 bbl/d), Germany (178,000 bbl/d), France (133,000 bbl/d), and Spain (115,000). With the lifting of sanctions against Libya in 2004, the United States has increased its imports of Libyan oil. According to EIA estimates, the United States imported an average of 80,000 bbl/d from Libya in 2009, up from 56,000 bbl/d in 2005 but, as a result of the U.S. economic downturn and subsequent decline in oil demand, 2009 levels were below 2007 highs of 117,000 bbl/d.”

Click here for link.

(HT to tweet by @johnwilcockson)

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 16:05

Times of Malta: Frontex Preparing for “Unprecedented” Migrant Flow from Libya

The Times of Malta reports today that Frontex “has been given instructions to start preparing for a possible unprecedented influx of immigrants and asylum seekers fleeing Libya towards the EU, particularly through Malta and Lampedusa.” “‘The fact that the Libyan regime does not seem to be in control of the huge expanse of the 2,000-km long Libyan coastline might already pose a big danger of a flood of asylum seekers crossing by rogue boats towards Malta, Lampedusa and Sicily,’ the sources said.”  According to the article the planned response to a massive flow would involve all 27 member states.  EU spokesman for Home Affairs Michele Cercone confirmed that Frontex was engaged in planning for a migrant flow from Libya, but said he would not “speculate on details and suppositions.”  The article also states that “six EU Mediterranean member states [Malta, France, Cyprus, Spain, Greece, and Italy] will meet in Rome tomorrow in an urgent minisummit to devise a common stance on the immigration crisis facing the southern Mediterranean region, a day before official talks of EU justice ministers in Brussels.”

Click here article.

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 06:35

EU Foreign Affairs Council: Condemnation of Libya, but No Call for Sanctions or Travel Bans

The conclusions of the just completed EU Council meeting on Foreign Affairs were released yesterday.  Not surprisingly, Libya was a major topic of discussion and there was condemnation of the Libyan government’s actions.  But there is a strong difference of opinion among member states regarding what else should be done.  Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb called for the imposition of sanctions against Gaddafi, his family, and Libyan government officials saying “it was hypocritical that Europe last month slapped sanctions on the Belarussian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, and his associates. ‘How can we on one side look at what’s going on in Libya, with almost 300 people shot dead, and not talk about sanctions or travel bans, and at the same time put travel bans and sanctions in Belarus?’.”  Italy strongly opposed imposing sanction against Libya:  Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called for a “European Marshall Plan” instead of sanctions.  His plan would “include political, economic, and social support” for Libya.

Among the agreed upon conclusions was the following:  “The Council stresses the importance of strengthened cooperation with Mediterranean countries to address illegal immigration, in accordance with the principles of international law. JHA Ministers meeting later this week in the Council will pursue detailed work on this issue.”

Click here for the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting Conclusions.

Click here, here, here, and here for articles. (EN)

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 04:52

Frontex JO Hermes Update

Here is the latest update from the Frontex web site:

“… Joint Operation Hermes 2011, originally planned to commence in June, was brought forward and started on February 20 with a provisional end-date of March 31 as an initial phase with a possible extension if needed. The Operational Plan was prepared on the basis of a Tailored Risk Analysis, created by Frontex at Italy’s request…. As with all Frontex-coordinated Joint Operations, the host Member State (Italy) will play the leading role. All maritime assets and crews will be provided by the Italian authorities and will patrol a predefined area with a view to detecting and preventing illegitimate border crossings to the Pelagic Islands, Sicily and the Italian mainland. Aerial assets made available by other Member States for enhanced border surveillance and search and rescue capability will support these sea patrols. Meanwhile, second-line border control will be supported through the deployment of debriefing and screening experts to identify migrants’ nationalities and to gather intelligence on people-smuggling networks. Further support may also be made available in the area of return operations.

Assets and experts made available by the Member States for Hermes 2011 joint operation:

  • Naval means: Italy
  • Aerial means: Italy, France, the Netherlands, Malta, Spain
  • Experts: Italy, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Malta, Portugal, and Spain …

The Europol Mobile Office is deployed on the spot in Lampedusa. Europol experts will also provide operational analytical support throughout the operation.”

Click here for full statement.

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by | 22 Feb 2011 · 04:28

Interview with Frontex Director Regarding the 5000 Tunisians in Italy

Frontex Director Ilkka Laitinen was interviewed by Spiegel Online.  He expressed the view that Frontex’s main task in regard to the 5000 or so Tunisian migrants who have reached Italy over the past several weeks will be facilitating the return of most of them to Tunisia.  According to Laitinen, only a “very few” of the Tunisians have sought asylum protection.  He also said that Frontex “experts [had] come to the conclusion that the flight of the 5,000 had been planned for a long time. ‘Twenty human traffickers have already been arrested[.] They had just been waiting for the right opportunity.’”

While the view that most of the Tunisians who have arrived to date in Italy will not qualify for asylum or subsidiary protection is shared by many others, if and when people begin fleeing directly from Libya, whether they be Libyan or non-Libyan, there will almost certainly be a much larger number of qualified asylum seekers in any new migrants flows, especially if the Gaddafi regime remains in power.

Click here for article.

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by | 21 Feb 2011 · 21:51

Libyan Interior Minister Met Commissioner Malmström on 15 Feb.

According to the EU Observer, Libya’s Interior Minister met last week with Commissioner Cecilia Malmström: “It emerged on Monday  [21 Feb.] that the Libyan interior minister, Abdel Fatah Younes, visited EU home affairs commissioner [Cecilia Malmström] last Tuesday (15 February) to discuss ‘how to put into practice’ an agreement reached in October on immigration co-operation.  The commission last year offered the country some €50 million euros to assist in efforts to prevent irregular migrants from reaching the Mediterranean’s northern shores. At the meeting, it is thought that a figure of 2 million refugees was brandished by Mr Younes.”

It is unclear from the article whether Libya used this meeting with Malmström to communicate a threat to halt cooperation on irregular immigration similar to the one that was communicated to the Hungarian Ambassador to Libya on 17 February or whether this was an otherwise routine meeting in furtherance of the EU-Libya framework agreement.

Click here for article.

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by | 21 Feb 2011 · 18:09

Frattini and Berlusconi Slow to Criticise Gaddafi

As reported by the EU Observer, while the EU and most member states are now condemning Libya’s actions, “[o]n the other side of the EU divide, Italy is horrified at the possible loss of a close ally. Foreign minister and ex-EU-commissioner Franco Frattini is trying to convince other European states that Mr Gaddafi has promised constitutional reforms and that the bloc should allow him to make good. ‘Italy as you know is the closest neighbour of both Tunisia and Libya so we are extremely concerned about the repercussions on the migratory situation in the southern Mediterranean,’ Mr Frattini told reporters on Sunday. The previous day, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he did not want to ‘disturb’ his long-time friend with appeals for restraint.”

Click here for article.

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