Med5: Interior ministers call for strengthening of Frontex and agreements with third countries for returns
The Med5, a two-day meeting of the interior ministers of the five European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, ended in the Royal Palace in Naples.
Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta were represented, as well as the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens.
At the end of the summit, the ministers signed a joint declaration.
Piantedosi: migrants sent to Albania considered 'dangerous'
"We all recognised the need to strengthen Frontex," said Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi during the press conference at the end of the summit, reiterating that "the fight against human traffickers is always a priority".
"It is also our intention to work on assisted voluntary returns, a measure that we consider crucial, especially if it is supported by concrete actions to help returnees with their economic and social reintegration in their countries of origin," Piantedosi added.
According to the minister, it is a priority for the European Union to maintain an adequate level of funding and to "launch a specific initiative on assisted voluntary returns as soon as possible, in order to take a qualitative leap forward and outline a real common strategy."
Responding to a question from journalists on the transfer of irregular migrants to Albania, the minister claimed that these were individuals considered to be dangerous. "Out of the 40 people transported to Albania, there are as many as five cases of convictions for sexual violence, one case of attempted murder, they had previous convictions for weapons, property crimes, theft, resisting a public official, personal injuries," Piantedosi said.
"There is a large sample of precedents, which allows us to identify the characterisation of people judged to be dangerous and, as such, subject to detention, as provided for by our law," he added, explaining the reason for handcuffing the immigrants while they disembarked from the ship that arrived in Albania on Friday.
"Among the reasons for which these containment measures are put in place is to protect the safety of police officers as well, which as far as I am concerned always remains in first place.
Strengthening Frontex and more funding to combat illegal immigration
Ministers Matteo Piantedosi (Italy), Nicholas A. Joannides (Deputy Minister Cyprus), Makis Voridis (Greece), Byron Camilleri (Malta) and Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez (Spain) reaffirmed in their joint declaration their commitment to develop a common political vision on the most relevant issues of the European migration agenda.
They also reaffirmed the importance of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum and committed themselves to its effective implementation, while also calling for immediate and unconditional funding based on needs to support the necessary fulfilment of the Pact's obligations within the current multiannual financial framework.
At the same time, they demanded increased allocations for the internal and external dimensions of asylum, migration and border management within the next MFF, in line with the increasingly heavy burdens on frontline Member States and in consideration of the fact that external borders are managed by them for the good of the whole Union.
Emphasis on human rights
The focus of Member States and European institutions, according to the Med5 ministers, must remain on exploring appropriate innovative solutions to address irregular migration, including new ways to prevent and counter irregular migration, manage asylum and return, in line with EU and international law and ensuring sustainable solutions.
"We emphasise that an effective return policy is vital for a well-functioning asylum system and therefore indispensable for the integrity of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum," they said while welcoming the European Commission's efforts to increase the efficiency of the return process by providing member states with common standards for effective return management.
"We also call on the European Commission to launch, in the framework of the Global Alliance against Smuggling of Migrants, a specific initiative on assisted voluntary returns from third countries of transit to migrants' countries of origin, including the organisation of an international conference," the ministers added, reiterating that conditions must be created for communities and individuals to live in safety and dignity in their countries.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The respect of human rights is the most important pillar for us because the respect of these rights is a cornerstone of the values of the European Union," said Spanish minister Grande-Marlaska.
Regarding the migrant centres in Albania, he explained that it is necessary to know what the European institutions think.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
German minister says China's 'assertiveness' threatens European interests
"What happens here in the Indo-Pacific has a direct impact on European security and vice versa," Johann Wadephul said in a speech in Jakarta, using an alternative description for the Asia-Pacific region. "China's growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea not only threatens Asia's security but also undermines the international rules-based order," Wadephul said after talks with his Indonesian counterpart. "With essential trade routes running right through this area, it also constitutes an economic risk." He said the same applied to frictions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has deployed fighter jets, warships and coast guard ships near Taiwan and has held several major military exercises around the island in recent years. Communist China has never ruled Taiwan but Beijing insists it is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. "Any escalation would have serious consequences for global security and prosperity, and directly affect German and European interests, too," he said. His comments are likely to cause more friction with Beijing after it lashed out at Berlin this week over his remarks in Japan, where he accused China of being "increasingly aggressive" and trying to "unilaterally change" regional borders. China warned Germany on Monday against "inciting confrontation and hyping up tensions" in the region. Wadephul said in a statement on Sunday before leaving for Asia that China was "increasingly asserting its regional supremacy" and questioning principles of international law. He also said on Wednesday Russia's war in Ukraine had an impact on regional security in Asia because of Chinese and North Korean support for Moscow. "Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is not only an attack on the European peace order, it also affects Indo-Pacific security," he said. "The Russian war machine runs in part on North Korean troops and ammunition, as well as China's decisive economic support." China insists it is a neutral party in the conflict but many of Ukraine's allies believe that Beijing has provided support to Moscow. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attended talks between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders on Monday. He said Ukraine should not be forced to surrender its Donbas region to Russia in negotiations, likening it to the United States giving up Florida.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Russian overnight attack injures 14 in Ukraine's Sumy region
At least 14 people were wounded overnight on Wednesday in another large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday. The injured in the attack on the city of Okhtyrka in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, included a family with a baby and two small children, Zelenskyy added. "Russia continues to manifest its fears through acts of pure terrorism across Ukraine, once again targeting the homes of families and their sleeping children," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X. The strike targeted a residential neighbourhood, damaging thirteen private homes, Svyrydenko added. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 93 drones and an undisclosed number of missiles, of which 62 drones and one missile were shot down. They reported that 20 locations in total were struck. "(Air attacks) also targeted the Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions," Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian leader also reported that Moscow struck a gas distribution station in the Odesa region in yet another attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which Russia has intensified in recent months. "All of these are demonstrative strikes that only confirm the need to put pressure on Moscow, the need to impose new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy is fully effective," Zelenskyy said on X. "We need strong security guarantees to ensure a truly reliable and lasting peace," he concluded. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump, alongside European leaders, in the White House in an attempt to secure a peace deal and end Russia's war of aggression. Last Friday, Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and had later announced the Russian president was open to the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Did Trump make EU leaders wait in line outside his office?
An unclear, blurred picture that social media users claim shows European leaders sitting on chairs with bowed heads in a White House corridor, waiting to meet US President Donald Trump, has gone viral online. Several European leaders travelled to the US to meet Trump on Monday, 18 August. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was flanked by seven European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others. The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, joined by European leaders, comes following Trump's talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last Friday. The coalition of European leaders joined Zelenskyy at the White House to shore up his position and to help push for continued support for Ukraine. Following the meeting with European leaders at the White House on Monday, this image claiming to feature these top political leaders surfaced and was later widely shared online. It was shared alongside captions alleging the leaders were being left to wait for Trump, asserting they were submissive to the US president. One social media account said it was a humiliation, calling the leaders "vassals at the court of the Mad Emperor". Another compared them to schoolchildren being lined up outside the principal's office, a scenario in which Trump is presumed to be the headmaster. The image was also shared by an established pro-Russian account with the caption "the picture of the day". However, the image is false. Mangled hands and extra feet This was confirmed by several Artificial Intelligence (AI) detection tools through which Euroverify checked the image. At least three tools stated the image was most likely generated by AI. A reverse image search by Euroverify produced a higher-quality version of the image. It shows a person sitting at the front of the row who vaguely looks like French President Emmanuel Macron. When looking more closely at this image, it clearly contains discrepancies typical of AI-generated images. The fingers of his left hand are mangled and out of proportion. Additionally, between the figure at the front and the blonde woman next to him, a pair of feet can be spotted without another person sitting in this spot. Meanwhile, online posts claim the people sitting to his left are other European leaders present at the meeting, but none of the other figures in the picture look like those attending the Washington, DC talks. The image also did not appear on the websites of any reputable news organisations covering the meeting. Finally, the picture was already shared on Sunday, 17 August, one day ahead of the meeting taking place. Some social media users have picked up on the fact that the photo is AI-generated by making fun of the obvious discrepancies commonly linked to such imagery. Meanwhile, others explained why it is fake in community notes on X. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, a working body of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, also shared the photo, stating it was false. "A fake photo is spreading online, allegedly showing European leaders who came to meet with US President Donald Trump sitting in a row waiting near the Oval Office," its post read. "In reality, this photo was created using artificial intelligence and is being spread by russian propaganda to discredit European leaders and devalue the significance of their participation in the negotiation process," it added. Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, its spreading of disinformation has risen dramatically. Various examples of Russian fabrications as part of this tactic include bad photo editing, but also fake reports and websites pretending to be Western media outlets.
