Today, Minister for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality Byron Camilleri attended the Home Affairs Council Meeting in Brussels. The meeting focused on migration and asylum, the Schengen area and internal security. During this meeting, Minister Camilleri presented the joint position agreed at the Med5 meeting held in Malta on 3-4 March.
The external and internal dimension of migration were high on the agenda. During the discussion on migration and asylum, Minister Camilleri highlighted the importance of stepping up efforts to prevent irregular departures and arrivals by addressing the root causes of migration in third countries; dismantle smuggling networks; and provide key countries with the necessary resources and assistance in relation to border surveillance and capacity building. Such efforts also help prevent situations that lead to loss of life at sea, similar to the tragedy witnessed off the coast of Calabria, Minister Camilleri said.
Minister Camilleri also underlined the need to send a strong message that abusing the system through irregular pathways does not pay and that we are committed in our fight against migrant smuggling.
On the internal dimension, Minister Camilleri emphasised the need to have a fair and functional system, calling once again for a permanent and mandatory solidarity mechanism that works in practice, and which effectively alleviates the burden on front-line member states. Minister Camilleri stressed the importance of having an effective return system, which remains one of the main pillars for a sound and credible migration policy, without which our internal system would not function.
During the meeting, the overall state of the Schengen Area was also discussed with a view to have a more robust visa policy. Ministers also discussed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine with a focus on security aspects.
