Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me start by emphasising that I am delighted to be here today and speak at this conference organised by the European Migration Network.
Return is a quintessential element of the larger migration puzzle, but it is also a difficult one.
Today, less than half of those whose asylum applications are rejected, are actually returned.
This situation is not sustainable. The ones in need of international protection should have it, and will have it.
But those who are not in need of protection, should be returned.
They should be returned in full respect of human rights and the principle of non-refoulement and with the guarantees given by the return directive.
Return policy is about both:
- sending people back who have no right to stay
- but also avoiding that people use dangerous and illicit routes in the first place and fall in the hands of unscrupulous smugglers.
Systematic return of irregular migrants is the best way to discourage people from risking their lives.
But here it takes two to tango.
This is not an EU policy alone, this is an international endeavour.
We need our international partners for this: meaning the countries of origin and transit.
We need also international organisations, such as International Organisation for Migration and I welcome William Swing here today.
Through our financial support, the International Organisation for Migration helps to make return more humane, through voluntary return and positive reintegration.
Most of you are practitioners.
You know this narrative.
Politically now there is the momentum to move ahead.
Today in fact, the European Parliament has agreed on the European Border and Coast Guard.
Besides being a milestone for managing our shared external borders collectively, the new Agency will be able to improve return operations by making the logistical and operational side more effective.
Since the adoption of the European action plan on return, we have engaged with countries in Africa and in Asia, in particular Pakistan.
We have developed an effective partnership with Turkey to manage migration and destroy the business model of migrant smugglers.
We have also proposed the opening of negotiations with certain key countries of origin – for instance Nigeria – and developed practical arrangements on readmission with others – such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan or Mali.
These are first steps. More has to happen.
That is why the Commission has launched a month ago the process to establish a new Partnership Framework with third countries on migration.
The new partnerships, the so-called “compacts”, will include effective incentives and adequate conditionality.
They will allow creating the necessary leverage, by using all relevant EU policies and tools – including development and trade for instance.
This approach will reward those countries willing to cooperate with the EU on migration management.
Following the same logic, we need to ensure that there are consequences for those countries that refuse to meet their international obligation
to take back their nationals who are irregularly present in other EU countries.
The new Partnership Framework includes short and long term objectives.
The short term objectives are: to save lives in the Mediterranean Sea; to increase the rate of returns to countries of origin and transit and to enable migrants and refugees to stay as close as possible to their homes.
We will develop these “compacts” with a number of priority third countries of origin and transit, such as Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Jordan and Lebanon.
In order to deliver on all this, we will deploy close to €8 billion over 2016-2020.
In the long term, the objective is to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement.
We will do so through reinforced EU support to third countries for capacity-building and for improving their political, social and economic situation.
It should help develop safe and sustainable reception capacities and provide lasting prospects close to home for refugees and their families in third countries affected by migratory pressure.
In addition to reducing the possibilities for irregular entry, we must put in place pathways for people to come to the EU legally – whether to seek international protection, or work, education, research or investment opportunities.
This is very important. And this is why we recently proposed to revise the Bleu Card Directive.
And we will also propose a structured EU Framework for resettlement.
To conclude: an effective return policy starts before potential migrants have left, and is therefore part and parcel of our global approach to migration management.
We will only succeed if the EU and its Member States combine their experience, as well as their financial, economic and political capital – not just with each other, but together with our key third country partners.
We will also only succeed if we keep the doors open for legal migrants and those in need of international protection in a legal and safe way.
This is our balanced approach.