EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos spoke in an interview with ANSA about what member states should do between the official expiration of relocation program on September 26. He also discussed reforms to the Dublin regulation.
''Until we have a structural, updated Dublin regulation with a distribution system for crises,'' he said, ''I expect all member states to continue showing solidarity in order to further alleviate pressure on Greece and Italy.'' ''We are prepared to support them,'' Avramopoulos said, noting that, with 29,000 transfers already completed, the mechanism for ''relocation works''. ''Solidarity must not be interrupted'' ''The relocation systems being used are for migrants with a clear need for international protection who arrive in Italy and Greece.
The immediate priority is to ensure that all those that have arrived'' by the end of the program ''and eligible are quickly transferred'', he said. ''Solidarity must come from the heart, but this does not mean that you cannot just stop from one day to the next,'' he added. The relocation program provides for the transfer only of asylum seekers of nationalities whose rate of being granted protection is at least 75% on the basis of Eurostat figures, and thus mostly Syrians and Eritreans. This was greatly limited transfers from Italy, where most of the migrants are from Sub-Saharan Africa. Avramopoulos noted that ''in our proposal for Dublin reform, the rules for candidature are broader and more flexible. I hope that the European Council and Parliament move quickly to find a solid, ambitious compromise''.
Speed up repatriation
The Greek commissioner also urged countries to do more concerning repatriation. ''Since only 36% of migrants without the right to stay in the EU are currently repatriated, it is clear that everyone involved must step up their work significantly. Italy, like the others, must speed it up,'' he said. On the Schengen zone, Avramopoulos announced that ''we have seen that the new security challenges require an adjustment of the rules and thus we will propose to strengthen the Schengen Code as a result. However, all internal border controls will continue to be an exception''. He added that ''we want to help states to ensure the security of their citizens. But this cannot happen at the cost of the free circulation of people, goods and services. We can safeguard Schengen if everyone plays by the rules. This is why, and as President (of the European Commission Jean-Claude) Juncker said, the time has come for Romania and Bulgaria begin being part of it.''
(Picture shows EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, credit ANSA/ARCHIVE)