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Ensuring the effective return of irregular migrants is a cornerstone of a successful and sustainable migration policy.
It is equally essential for our citizens to maintain trust in the European Union’s overall migration system, but also to dissuade more unsafe and irregular migration in the future.
The lack of valid travel documents is one of the main obstacles hampering the effective return of irregular migrants from the EU.
This situation can be solved by a replacement travel document issued by the competent authorities of the Member States.
However, to be valid and used in practice, this document needs to be recognised by third countries.
There has been a model for a standard travel document for the expulsion of third-country nationals since 1994.
However, Member States don’t use it very much.
Third countries with which a readmission agreement is under negotiation criticise
that its unsatisfactory security features and standards make it vulnerable to falsification and fraud.
That is why the Commission proposed a Regulation to address these issues by establishing a new European travel document for the return of third-country nationals.
This travel document will set a uniform European format with enhanced technical and security features.
In particular, it complies with precise security features that minimise the risks of counterfeiting and falsification.
In order not to create additional administrative burdens, the security features will follow those already applied to other EU official documents in relation to visas.
The new format and more secure features of the European travel document for return should help facilitate the acceptance of this document by third countries.
This is an important technical instrument which will help strengthening a particular challenge in the EU’s return policy – but it should be seen as one element out of many.
It is part of a wider strategy set by the Action Plan on Return of September 2015, aimed at supporting Member States’ efforts to facilitate return and readmission of irregular migrants, in full respect of their fundamental rights and of the standards and procedures set by the Return Directive and international agreements.
To conclude, I would like to thank the Rapporteur Mr. Halla-aho, the shadow rapporteurs and the LIBE Committee for their support and the excellent collaboration throughout the legislative process.
CLOSING SPEECH
Honourable Members,
Thank you for this debate and your remarks.
As I have said before, this travel document is one important element to improve our returns policies and make them more effective – but it is not the only one.
The Commission will now work on the implementation of the travel document in close collaboration with the Member States.
The objective is to promote in readmission or other agreements, at both European and Member State levels, a wide acceptance of the travel document by third countries.
If we target our efforts properly, it can become a key instrument to improve cooperation on return and readmission with the main countries of origin and transit of returnees.
As requested by the Parliament, the Commission will report to the Council and Parliament on the implementation of the Regulation within two years.
Thank you again for your support and the excellent cooperation on this legislative process.