EU RECOGNIZES RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001948 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS PREL PREF SMIG KCRM SW EUN SUBJECT: EU RECOGNIZES RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE THE LIVES OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. EU Interior Ministers in the June 12 JHA Council meeting in Luxembourg recognized their shared "responsibility" to save the lives of illegal migrants from Africa involved in tragic events in the Mediterranean. Ministers nevertheless offered little concrete help to frontline state Malta to handle the problem amid concerns that a Maltese request for allocating the migrants among EU countries could encourage rather than deter illegal migration. Commission Vice-President Frattini briefed the Council about the state of play regarding visa reciprocity with the U.S. (and Canada) and announced that, "in light of recent developments in these two countries regarding the visa waiver program," the presentation of the Commission third visa reciprocity report would be delayed until September 2007. The Council recorded its agreement with the European Parliament on a legislative package establishing the visa database system for visits to or transit through the Schengen area. Full text of Council conclusions has been transmitted to EUR/ERA. END SUMMARY. ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AT THE EU's SOUTHERN BORDERS -------------- ¶2. The continuing drama of illegal migrants from Africa desperate to reach the EU's Southern shores dominated comments to the media at the June 12 meeting of EU Interior ministers (JHA Council). The issue was put on the agenda per request of Malta, which has been calling on its EU partners devise a system for migrants whose boats founder in non-EU waters to be distributed among member states. Maltese Interior Minister Tonio Borg appealed to EU countries for help: "The situation right now is a complete mess," he said. "Each year 600 immigrants are dying ... on the threshold of Europe." ¶3. "We cannot tolerate people dying," German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble/Council chair told a post-Council press conference. Drawing from a joint Declaration of the German Presidency and Commission Vice-President Frattini that was "noted" by the Council, Schauble said the human tragedies in the Mediterranean were a European problem, "requiring a comprehensive solution" encompassing measures in the areas of immigration, asylum and border management. Schauble said that proposals "with a view to sharing responsibilities" would be discussed by EU officials next week. Claiming there was "no controversial debate" at the Council's table, he said ministers recognized "a principle of solidarity and the need to take the problem of a specific country (read: Malta) into consideration." ¶4. Though Schauble claimed that his Maltese colleague had been satisfied with the EU response at the meeting, Minister Borg apparently had problems to convince partners. According to EU sources, delegations agreed on the need to save people, but few were keen to take responsibility for illegal migrants once they are safely ashore. Some ministers, including French Immigration Minister Hortefeux, stressed the need to work closely with the countries that people are fleeing or crossing to reach Europe. They were concerned that "burden sharing" might appear to immigrants as a "free ticket" to move deeper into the EU. Borg brushed off claims that illegal migrants could be drawn into their journeys by the possibility of a free flight to Paris: "They first cross the desert," he said. "If they survive that they try to cross the Mediterranean, and if they survive that then they are accepted or saved by the European authorities." BRUSSELS 00001948 002 OF 003 ¶5. Frattini told the press conference Malta would receive help patrolling its vast area of maritime surveillance when the Agency for the control of the EU's external borders (Frontex) would launch its "Nautilus operation" on June 25, in which France, Greece, Germany and Italy would also take part alongside Malta. Frattini said he would pursue his efforts to involve Libya but confessed he was "not so optimistic about the possibility to get Libya on board by the end of June." SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM -------------- ¶6. Following talks in the "Mixed Committee" with their Schengen counterparts from Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, the EU ministers adopted conclusions noting progress in implementation of the "SISone4all" project (extension of current SIS I to include new member states: Czech republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia). Minister Schauble told reporters the project was proceeding according to schedule and that "by the end of the year conditions should be in place for the enlargement of the Schengen area" (removal of internal border checks with the new member states, as envisaged between December 2007 and March 2008). VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM -------------- ¶7. The Council reached a political agreement on the legislative package concerning the Visa Information System (VIS),the database system concerning visas for visits to or transit through the Schengen area, thereby endorsing texts negotiated with the European Parliament for a VIS Regulation and a VIS Decision. The adoption of these instruments by the EP and the political agreement by member states are necessary for further developing the system for the exchange of visa information between member states. More specifically: -- The VIS Regulation will allow consulates and other competent authorities to start using the system when processing visa applications and to check visas. -- The VIS Decision will allow police and law enforcement authorities to consult the data under certain conditions that ensure a high level of data protection. ¶8. The Visa Information System will store data on up to 70 million people concerning visas for visits to or transit through the Schengen Area, including the applicant's photograph and fingerprints. The Commission said high levels of security were being built into the system "to ensure it remains robust and available at all times and that data is only accessed by authorized persons for authorized purposes. Once it is fully operational, the VIS will be connected to all visa-issuing consulates of the Schengen States and to all their external border crossing points." ¶9. Commission Vice-President Frattini welcomed the adoption of the new legal instruments, saying: "This will make the EU a safer region. On the one hand, the VIS will offer a new practical tool both for consulates and border checkpoints, which will be the main daily users of the VIS, and for the police and law enforcement communities of the Member States, in order to prevent, fight and investigate terrorist offences as well as other serious crimes. On the other hand, bona fide travelers will benefit from the VIS, in particular, as regards the issuing of multiple-entry visas." Frattini said he would visit the new member states in the weeks and months to come in order BRUSSELS 00001948 003 OF 003 to bring them "a positive message." SITUATION OF IRAQI REFUGEES -------------- ¶10. Frattini also reported on steps undertaken to gain "a precise and comprehensive picture of national practices" concerning Iraqi asylum- seekers in the EU. Further to its discussions in April, the Council agreed that its bodies should continue to monitor the refugee situation in Iraq and its neighboring regions, as well as the influx of Iraqi refugees to the EU. Officials noted that, according to the UNHCR, the situation in Iraq continues to worsen, with more than 2 million Iraqis now believed to be displaced inside Iraq and another 2.2 million sheltering in neighboring states. VISA WAIVER RECIPROCITY -------------- ¶11. Frattini briefed the Council about the state of play regarding visa reciprocity with the U.S. and Canada. According to the Council conclusions, Frattini announced that, "in the light of recent developments in these two countries regarding the visa waiver program, the presentation of the Commission third visa reciprocity report would be delayed until September 2007." The conclusions note that the U.S. "signaled a new initiative on the visa waiver program in November 2006 involving the possibility of new legislation" and that "the situation in Canada is that the outcome of a visa waiver criteria review being undertaken by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is due soon and will provide a basis for discussion with the Commission and the member states concerned in the near future." The Council "agreed that the Presidency and the Commission would continue to have contacts with Canada and the United States on visa reciprocity." GRAY