The European People's Party (EPP) aims to "accelerate the repatriation" of migrants and support "proposals for repatriation hubs outside the EU," according to a document approved on Saturday in Berlin by EPP leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"We are accelerating repatriation efforts," and "we will support a review of the old directive with a new regulation within the next six months," stated a paper by the European People's Party (EPP), adopted on Saturday, January 18, by its leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"In this context, we will also support proposals for establishing repatriation hubs outside the EU. Additionally, we endorse a review of the concept of safe third countries," the document added.
'European turning point in 2025 in halting illegal arrivals'
In 2025, Europe will need to guarantee change "in the reduction of illegal immigration and decidedly end the business model of traffickers", stressed EPP leaders. According to the European Commission's agenda, von der Leyen's team should adopt the proposal on a 'New common approach on repatriations' on March 11.
The introduction of a new legislative framework on repatriations was first announced by von der Leyen in her migration letter addressed to the 27 member states during the last EU summit in December.
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'Arrivals down thanks to agreements with third countries'
"In 2024, our fight against traffickers showed an initial success. For example, thanks to the EU-Tunisia agreement, the number of arrivals in Italy went down by two-thirds," the EPP leaders wrote in their 2025 plan, adopted in Berlin. This success was also highlighted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her December letter to the heads of state and government of the EU’s 27 member states.
"We are developing and adopting the Pact for the Mediterranean. The EPP has already shown that it is possible to reduce illegal immigration: for example, the EU-Tunisia agreement already shows positive results with irregular arrivals from Tunisia to Italy down by more than 60% last year compared to the previous year", highlighted the paragraph on migration, which mentioned virtuous examples like the EU-Lebanon partnership and cooperation with Turkey.
"We want Europe to forge new partnerships with Mediterranean countries and to further boost existing bilateral agreements, for example with Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, in order to strengthen economic cooperation and prevent illegal immigration," the leaders said.
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