Immigration was discussed following the initiative of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Annita Dimitriou, during the first joint meeting of the Speakers/Vice Speakers of the Parliaments of the member countries of the South (Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Malta) with the participation of the European Parliament.
An announcement from the Parliament states that the first joint meeting of the Presidents/Vice-Presidents of the Parliaments of the member countries took place within the framework of the Conference of the Presidents of the Parliaments of the EU member countries in Palma de Mallorca, on April 23, 2024, at the initiative of Mrs. Dimitriou of the South with the participation of the European Parliament, during which a draft Joint Declaration was discussed, submitted by the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus in relation to the external dimension of the European immigration policy, as part of a common approach for an effective management of asylum and of immigration.
In the Joint Declaration it is stated that in recent years, the member states of the South of the EU have received and continue to receive disproportionate and unbearable migration flows, which put at increased risk, both the security and the infrastructure of their countries and that migration is a major issue that concerns all EU member states, including those that have not received and/or are receiving significant migration flows, but mainly concerns Mediterranean host countries.
Furthermore, it is noted that a large number of irregular migrants and asylum seekers, mainly Syrians from Lebanon, were recorded in Cyprus from the beginning of 2024, and that, as a result of the escalating tension in the Middle East and the general geopolitical developments in the region, the unbearable migratory and/or and refugee flows are expected to continue and worsen, undoubtedly putting Cyprus' reception and hospitality infrastructure under further pressure.
Therefore, the Parliaments of the South call on their Governments to assume a decisive role in the effective management of these flows in close cooperation with the countries of origin and transit and in this case with Lebanon, taking all the necessary measures to prevent phenomena such as human trafficking and smuggling by organized networks.
They reaffirm their readiness to strengthen cooperation to promote common EU principles and values, including the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility.
They reiterate their unwavering commitment to fulfilling their obligations under international law and the EU acquis, in particular with regard to their responsibilities in relation to the Union's external borders.
They call on the Commission and the Council to finally recognize the increased burden on frontline Member States and the resulting responsibilities in the field of migration management in terms of reception, accommodation, processing of asylum applications and integration of asylum seekers; establishing swift and effective measures to ensure solidarity and fair burden-sharing among all EU member states.
Finally, the Parliaments of the South call on the EU institutions to immediately take all appropriate actions to promote and fully implement the EU Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean route, which aims to take measures to prevent irregularities arrivals, the fight against illegal trafficking and the creation of safe legal transit corridors, as the only sustainable way to collectively deal with illegal migration flows.
The Joint Declaration will be forwarded by the Spanish Presidency to the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments for signature.
Source: KYPE