17/11/2009 Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
Strasbourg, 16.11.2009 – Plans for migration and asylum in the European Union’s draft five-year plan for cross-border co-operation are too focused on the processes of migration and not enough on the people, the head of a delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) told a gathering of parliamentarians in Brussels today.
Speaking at a joint parliamentary meeting organised by the European Parliament and the Swedish Riksdag, Corien Jonker (Netherlands, EPP/CD) said the EU’s “Stockholm Programme” – which is currently being finalised – would have to take account of the up to six million irregular migrants remaining within its borders: “The Programme must also deal with those who will not, or cannot be sent back.”
She pointed out that the Council of Europe – which includes countries of origin for migrants heading for the EU – had been setting standards on migration and asylum for many years, in particular through judgments of its Human Rights Court and the work of its Assembly.
Mrs Jonker encouraged EU countries to sign up to existing Council of Europe conventions rather than create new structures. In particular, any new EU Trafficking Co-ordinator should not duplicate the Council of Europe’s existing monitoring mechanism.