Today I had a constructive and useful meeting with the Greek Migration Minister Mr Yannis Mouzalas and with the Greek Alternate Minister for Citizen’s Protection Mr Nikos Toskas.
I welcome the efforts of the Greek authorities to maintain the good level of the external border management with the support of the EU Agencies and the EU Member States.
Secondary movements have substantially diminished and it is expected that the full application of the current Dublin rules will keep them limited.
I discussed with the Greek Ministers what needs to be done, in order to further improve the management of the migration situation within Greece. We also referred to the significant progress on relocation from Greece, which is a result of the good cooperation and efforts of the Greek side.
We are certainly not where we were two years ago. During those past two years, we have made important progress. However, the issue is still relevant; No-one can predict what will come in the future. Surely, both the European Union and the Member States, especially Greece and Italy – the frontline states, are now prepared.
If we keep up with the current relocation pace, everyone eligible for relocation could be relocated from Greece by September.
Moreover we discussed about the protection of unaccompanied minors in Greece, which is a matter of priority. The European Commission recently adopted a communication about the protection of migrant children.
The Greek government will very soon pass the relevant legislation on guardianship and will soon provide appropriate accommodation and protection for all unaccompanied minors in Greece.
Member States should continue prioritising unaccompanied minors and vulnerable applicants for relocation.
Regarding the islands, I encouraged the Greek authorities to speed up the processing of asylum applications (by increasing the output of the appeal committees) and the pace of returns, also by using pre-removal facilities for migrants with the risk to absconding.
The next JHA Council will take place on Thursday. Among other issues, we will discuss about the revision of the Common European Asylum System and about solidarity.
A fair, just and workable compromise is needed. I trust that all Member States comprehend that.
We all agree that we need a new asylum system which will prove effective for current and future challenges.
Solidarity is not just an empty word but a legal and moral obligation and we need to find the good balance to establish the rules that turn it into practice. Solidarity has the same meaning in all European languages – feel free to check the dictionaries of all European languages.
I have called all Member States, especially those that have not yet fulfilled their obligations, to do so.If they fail to do so, the Commission will not hesitate to make use of its powers under the Treaties and open infringement procedures.