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The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has called for progress towards an agreement to reform the European migration and asylum policy of the European Union. This was expressed on his arrival at the
Extraordinary Council
of Interior Ministers of the Twenty-seven who meet today in
Brussels
to seek a common position in the face of a possible new migration crisis after the collapse of Afghanistan.
"I think it is an opportune moment for us to put on the table again the need to conclude the
European Asylum and Migration Pact
; that it be an effective reality in terms of guaranteeing principles as basic as shared responsibility, solidarity, humanity and an essential element, the external dimension: cooperation and collaboration with the countries of origin and transit, making solidarity in the external sphere a principle and a basic element of our policy, "said Grande-Marlaska upon his arrival.
However, the proposal that the
European Commission
launched almost a year ago has been stuck in the
Council for
months
, due to differences between the different member states on how to address migration issues. Also the president of the executive, Ursula Von der Leyen, has insisted on moving towards the achievement of the reform to avoid
ad hoc
solutions such
as those that the EU has been forced to use in recent years.
In the Council, the ministers will not go into such deep questions but will limit themselves to issuing a joint statement on the position that the EU should take in the event that the crisis in Afghanistan leads to security problems, but also to a migration crisis. "This is an important and relevant piece of advice after the situation in Afghanistan and the European commitment to Afghanistan," said Grande-Marlaska, adding in any case that it is a challenge shared with the entire international community. " to give a coordinated and effective response. "
Regarding Spain's position, the minister insisted on Spain's commitment to protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of Afghans, and especially women. "This is a refugee crisis. We are talking about fundamental rights and freedoms," said Marlaska, adding that "Spain will accept the individual responsibility that corresponds to it within the European Union," in terms of reception, although he has not given a figure of people the government could offer to relocate.
"In this first phase, it has become clear what the position of Spain is, which is responsibility, solidarity, the external dimension ... We have been the
hub
of the European Union in terms of resettlement of the first arrivals of Afghan citizens. I think that our commitment is evident, real and because it cannot be another, "said the minister.
In search of a common position
"We have to avoid a humanitarian crisis, we have to avoid a migration crisis, we have to avoid threats to our security," said the European Commissioner for the Interior,
Ylva Johansson
, "but we have to act now, not wait for large migratory flows in our homes. external borders or to make terrorist organizations stronger. " And to do so, Europe needs a common position, he added.
Johansson assures that although there are obvious differences between the countries of the European Union, everyone agrees that a crisis like the one of 2015 must be avoided, when more than a million people arrived irregularly in Europe in search of asylum, fleeing from the war in
Syria
, collapsing a system that was not prepared for a crisis of such magnitude. The commissioner insists that Europe is better prepared than then, it has more mechanisms to turn to, but the truth is that her proposal to reform the Union's migration policy has been stuck in the Council for months, precisely due to differences between member states .
To a large extent, the EU has relied on the solidarity of its governments to manage the trickle of arrivals to Europe, mainly through the
Mediterranean
, but also from the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. Also this time, according to the president of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, the reception system for Afghan refugees will be voluntary, although the executive seeks the possibility of granting financial aid to countries that are in favor of contributing.
Johansson explained that the Commission is preparing the European proposal in the international relocation forum created in 2016, which would bring a total of 30,000 people to European soil from third countries in 2022. But this includes refugees of other nationalities, not only afghans. According to figures shared by different governments, around 15,000 people have been evacuated in this latest rescue operation from Afghanistan, although some countries, such as Germany, continue to work to guarantee humanitarian corridors in the future.
"The first priority was to evacuate our citizens, of course, and those who have worked for the EU and member states. Second, for example, judges, women's rights activists, some authors, journalists who they are threatened, they have already been evacuated, or they are also people who are still in Afghanistan. And the question is, of course, how to get them out safely, "Johansson clarified.
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Afghanistan
Europe
Spain
European Union
Ursula von der Leyen
European Comission
Fernando Grande-Marlaska
Jorge Fernandez Diaz
Syria
UPyD
Canary Islands
Germany
Refugees
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