ASYLNYTT

A revised version of the EU's plan for migration cooperation with Tunisia contains a number of updates to the previous versions. It is clear that the North African country, which is in the midst of a wave of protests and a democratic crisis, continues to refuse to cooperate with Frontex - but the provision of millions of euros for an "integrated border surveillance and coastal communication system" is still going ahead. More money is also being provided, with the aim of targeting "young Tunisians prone to migration".

A leaked copy of a Commission draft action plan on Tunisia concerned with the "operationalisation" of the Pact on Migration and Asylum is an updated version of one circulated in October last year. The proposed 2021-2027 EU-Tunisia strategic priorities have been updated between the two versions of the document, though are yet to be agreed. The EU is still seeking to relaunch negotiations on readmission and visa facilitation agreements.

While making the same comments about political instability and delays to political reforms, due to the pandemic as well as Tunisian president Saïed's freezing of parliament in July 2021, the updated action plan refers to a 2022 timeline announced by president Saïed. This includes a public consultation running up to March, a referendum on constitutional reform in July, and parliamentary elections in December. This engagement seems unlikely to appease months of rallies against the monopolisation of power since July last year, amid economic crisis, unemployment, food shortages and financial stresses.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220324:

AYS 22-03-20:

AYS Special from Greece: 6 problems with the EU-Turkey Deal

It is 6 years since the EU Turkey deal came into effect, and for a brief moment in March 2016 arrivals stopped completely. Since that time, however, thousands of people have arrived in Greece and have been subject to the restrictive conditions imposed by the deal, wreaking havoc with people's lives. As Europe has suddenly collectively realised, people fleeing war have already survived enough, they should not be subject to further trauma at the hands of the state from which they ask for protection, and yet this is exactly what happens. Here are 6 of the main problems with it.

It's Racist

ARTICLE 3 NON-DISCRIMINATION: The Contracting States shall apply the provisions of this Convention to refugees without discrimination as to race, religion or country of origin.

The deal was only ever directed at people of colour from the global south. As soon as Europeans needed refuge, alternative provisions were made, and the Temporary Protection Directive was activated. When people from non European countries are returned to Turkey they cannot receive refugee status. Turkey only grants refugee status to Europeans. This creates a two tier immigration system based on your country of origin and the colour of your skin.

It's Illegal

the refugee deal was made based on extremely limited and hasty legal analysis, the substance of which was not and has not been made public. The implications of this for the substance of the legal advice is clear: if the analysis confirmed that the agreement was legally sound, then the Commission would have had no problem in allowing its disclosure. - European Law Blog

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Regeringen 22-03-20:

Toppmötet mellan EU och Afrikanska unionen: ett stärkt och fördjupat partnerskap

EU:s och den Afrikanska unionens ledare möttes i Bryssel den 17-18 februari. Ledarna antog en gemensam deklaration och lade mycket av mötestiden på att diskutera kommande samarbeten i grupper med utvalda teman. Statsminister Magdalena Andersson företrädde Sverige.

Ledarna diskuterade hur de två unionerna kan arbeta tillsammans för att hantera gemensamma utmaningar och skapa större välstånd. I fokus stod bland annat ett ambitiöst investeringspaket med avstamp i möjligheter och utmaningar inom ett antal områden, inte minst klimatförändringar och den pågående hälsokrisen. Mötet handlade också om verktyg och lösningar i syfte att främja fred och säkerhet.

Tillsammans med ledande experter deltog stats- och regeringscheferna i två tematiska rundabordssamtal.

Rundabordssamtalen hade följande teman:

+ tillväxtfinansiering

+ hälso- och sjukvårdssystem och vaccinproduktion

+ jordbruk och hållbar utveckling

+ utbildning, kultur, migration och rörlighet

+ stöd till den privata sektorn och ekonomisk integration

+ fred, säkerhet och samhällsstyrning

+ klimatförändringar och energiomställning, digitalisering och transport

Statsminister Magdalena Andersson deltog i två samtal, dels om tillväxtfinansiering och dels om det samtal som handlade om utbildning, kultur, migration och rörlighet.

Deklarationen som antogs i samband med mötet ska vara vägledande för partnerskapet mellan EU och Afrikanska unionen de kommande åren. Till mötesdokumenten hör också ett antal informella papper som tar sikte på att konkretisera samarbetet framöver med fokus på rundabordssamtalens teman.

Det var sjätte gången EU och Afrikanska unionen möttes i toppmötesformat. Det senaste ägde rum i Elfenbenskustens huvudstad Abidjan 2017.

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Arkiveringsdatum 220316:

Statewatch 22-03-10:

Frontex to boost border control efforts in Niger, Algeria and Libya

EU border agency Frontex is to step up its role in Niger, where a liaison officer will cooperate with EU military and security deployments to try to boost control over the borders between Niger, Algeria and Libya.

The details are contained in an action file (pdf) produced as part of the MOCADEM (Mécanisme opérationnel de coordination des actions pour la dimension externe des migrations) structure within the Council, which outlines aims to strengthen Frontex's action in the state via its liaison officer and by finalising working arrangements with the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions EUCAP Sahel Niger and EUBAM Libya.

These agreements will define Frontex's role in the facilitation of border control activity in the south of Libya (alongside Italy and the International Organization for Migration, IOM), as well as in intensifying patrols of the borders with Algeria and Libya. The finalisation of the working agreements will be worked out by Frontex, the European External Action Service, and the European Commission.

Further consolidation of an information exchange framework among the EU's immigration liaison officers network and with the Frontex liaison officer is also envisaged. Regular information exchange consultations will be held between member state officers, Europol's European Migrant Smuggling Centre and the Frontex liaison officer, on actions concerning border management and combatting migrant smuggling.

The action file outlines the objective to support Niger to establish and implement a migration policy which encompasses the reception of internally displaced people, as well as asylum seekers and refugees from Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria, and people evacuated from Libya. The policy should ensure early access to asylum procedures, and permanently strengthen border management capacities, combat smuggling networks, and prepare for "tripartite cooperation with the Libyan and Algerian authorities".

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Arkiveringsdatum 220304:

Statewatch 22-02-22:

EU-Africa: "Build bridges between people, not walls": civil society statement

A statement signed by networks and organisations representing hundreds of different groups, calling for a change in approach to EU-Africa relations and an end to the EU's "security approach to migration policies." The statement was published ahead of the European Union-African Union summit on 17 and 18 February.

On 17 and 18 February, the EU-African Union leaders' summit is taking place in Brussels. This is the sixth summit to adopt a common vision for 2030 with a focus on security and economic policies.

We, African and European civil society organisations working on migration issues, aware of the stakes and challenges and of the need for a paradigm shift for win-win relationships between the two continents, call on our States to address the following issues:

Europe is putting its interests first by imposing its vision of the world on Africa, by implementing restrictive and repressive measures and policies aimed at curbing migration on its soil by investing colossal human, material and financial resources that could be used in more relevant sectors. Migration being a social, economic and political phenomenon inherent to human nature, the reality of the facts proves the inefficiency of these measures and highlights the violations of the human rights of migrants.

However, European policies have the effect of reducing intra-African mobility, weighing on the continent's development in the medium term and going against the actions taken by the African Union through the frameworks and instruments linking migration and sustainable development.

Thus, it is important for African states to adopt the main instruments and texts such as:

the ECOWAS Common Approach to Migration Management which works towards intra-regional population mobility at the heart of the regional integration process;

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ECRE editorial 22-02-18: The EU must stop trapping migrants in Libya or risk complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 211231:

EU-kommissionen 21-12-21:

Priority areas for cooperation with partner countries and regions around the world

The Commission has adopted the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) of Global Europe setting out priority areas for cooperation with partner countries and regions around the world for 2021-27. This also includes the financial allocation for 2021-2024 (country level) and for 2021-2027 (regional level) that will support this cooperation for a total of almost ¤26.3 billion. The adoption of the country and regional MIPs will significantly contribute to climate actions, social inclusion and human development and migration and forced displacement and to achieve gender and biodiversity targets.

High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, said: "We need to match our words with actions. The investments under the Global Europe programme will ensure that the EU delivers on its political priorities and effectively addresses the needs of our partner countries and regions, ranging from sustainable peace, security and stability to global challenges, such as tackling COVID-19 and the fight against climate change. The EU remains the world's largest donor of development and humanitarian aid and we will continue to stand up for a fairer and more prosperous future around the world."

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: "The European Union has a long history of cooperation based on shared objectives and values. With the programming of our cooperation for 2021-2027, we commit for another seven years to fight inequalities and support inclusive, green and sustainable development. Many of the agreed priorities will support the effective implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, levering key resources for sustainable and trusted connections that work for people and the planet, while tackling most pressing global challenges. I am particularly proud that programmes related to education should be allocated ¤6 billion over 2021-2027, an increase from 7 to 13% of total expenditures of our external action outside our neighbourhood. Children and youth should be given a real chance to reach their full potential and have a better future."

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Se även:

Pressmeddelande från Europeiska rådets sammanträde 16 december 2021 (Extern länk)

Rådets slutsatser (Extern länk)

Infografik - Migrationsströmmar: östra, centrala och västra rutten (Extern länk)

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EU-kommissionen 21-12-21:

Model status agreement on the European Border and Coast Guard

COM(2021) 829 final

/Utdrag:/

In 2019, the mandate of Frontex was further expanded via Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 on the European Border and Coast Guard (the 'Regulation'). The Regulation expanded the tasks of the Agency as well as the number of potential partners for status agreements. In particular, the Agency may now deploy team members with executive powers to any third country as long as the deployment contributes to the effective implementation of the European Integrated Border Management, in other words deployment is no longer limited to third countries neighbouring the European Union. As previously, a status agreement must be concluded where the deployment of team members with executive powers to a third country is envisaged.

The present Communication sets out the model status agreement provided for in Article 76(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896. It is an update of the model adopted in 2016, which embeds the novelties introduced by Regulation (EU) 2019/1896, in particular the reinforcement of the protection of fundamental rights and of personal data, while also drawing on experience gained in negotiating the already concluded status agreements.

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Se även: Model working arrangement (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 211210:

Frontex 21-12-03:

First Euro-Arab Border Security Conference

On 1-2 December, the border management authorities of the European Union and the League of Arab States gathered in the first-ever Euro-Arab Border Security Conference in Amman, Jordan, to discuss how to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in response to global challenges.

The conference was a joint initiative of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, and the General Secretariat of the Arab Interior Ministers' Council (AIMC) of the League of Arab States (LAS), and was held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Jordan, Mr Bisher Al Khasawneh, represented by Minister of Interior and the Public Security Directorate. The event brought together senior representatives from over 40 states, relevant EU and the LAS bodies, as well as representatives of international organisations.

In his opening speech, Jordan's Minister of Interior H.E. Mr Mazin Abdellah Hilal Al Farrayeh emphasised that border control is a significant common challenge and the need to galvanise cooperation within a Euro-Arab framework in addition to exchanging experiences and knowledge.

The EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Mr Olivér Várhelyi, reaffirmed the EU's continued commitment to closely cooperate with the Arab partners on border protection, fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings as well as organised crime.

In line with these priorities, the participants have gathered to build trust and expand networks between the border authorities of the two regions, especially with regards to addressing common challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and sharing experiences of the effective and efficient use of new technologies to facilitate mobility while ensuring security of our communities.

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Europeiska unionens råd 21-12-03:

Joint statement EU - Western Balkans: Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs

The Ministers of Home Affairs and Justice of Slovenia, representing the Presidency of the Council of the EU, together with the European Commission, represented by the European Commissioners for Home Affairs and for Justice, met on 1-3 December 2021 in Brdo pri Kranju with their counterparts from the Western Balkans at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the incoming French and Czech Presidencies of the Council of the EU. The following matters were discussed:

HOME AFFAIRS

Strengthening migration, asylum and border management

The EU and the Western Balkans reaffirmed that migration management is a common challenge that needs to be addressed in close partnerships. Constructive cooperation has already delivered clear results and will be further strengthened, also with the support of EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies. The ministers concurred that efforts to reinforce border management and to intensify regional information exchange remain a top priority. In this context, the EU and the Western Balkans partners agreed to continue their work on developing interoperable systems for identification and registration of mixed migratory flows, as well as National Coordination Centres (NCCs) across the region. The Commission reiterated its readiness to provide technical support.

The ministers exchanged views on the progress made by the Western Balkans in their reception conditions and asylum systems. The need of contingency planning in case of an increase of migratory flows was underlined by the EU. The ministers committed to further strengthen cooperation in the fight against migrant smuggling. The EU underlined also the need to work to enhance return systems, including the conclusion of readmission agreements with key countries of origin. Regional cooperation on return should be reinforced.

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Arkiveringsdatum 211122:

Statewatch 21-11-04:

Migration action plans on Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq and Nigeria

Eight draft action plans for cooperation with non-EU states on migration and border control were approved by the European Council in October. Documents dealing with Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq and Nigeria, published here, show a chosen path of intensified externalisation of EU border management, and very little commitment to legal migration pathways.

The four documents obtained by Statewatch date from the start of October 2021; it is possible that the documents approved by the European Council at its meeting on 21 and 22 October were updated, although no further versions are listed in the official register of documents.

Approving the action plans, the European Council called on the Commission to provide "concrete timelines and adequate financial support" to pursue the measures envisioned. Three other draft action plans (for Libya, Morocco and Tunisa) were recently published by MigrationControl.info, while the latest draft action plan for Niger was published by Statewatch in September.

Each draft action plan outlines "Lines to take", "Measures", and "Timelines for action" to reduce migration to the bloc, and includes an opening request that "the text of the draft action plan be handled with discretion."

Afghanistan

The draft "Action Plan responding to the events in Afghanistan" covers a long list of overall "lines to take" for the EU. These include:

+ the need for a strong and concerted response from the EU and international community to address the needs inside Afghanistan, "which were already significant before the current events";

+ efforts to prevent further destabilisation and insecurity in the country and region;

+ pursuing efforts to ensure that the Taliban ceases all ties with international terrorism;

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Frontex 21-11-05:

Call for Proposals for Partnership providing reintegration services to non-EU nationals

Call for Proposals for the establishment of Framework Partnership Agreements with Reintegration Partners providing reintegration services to non-EU nationals returning to their countries of origin.

According to the Regulation (EU) 1896/2019, Frontex is bound to support Member States and Schengen Associated Countries in providing post-arrival and reintegration assistance to non-EU nationals returning to their countries of origin. The assistance aims at helping migrants integrate back into society.

In that context, Frontex is now launching a Call for Proposals aimed at concluding Framework Partnership Agreements with selected reintegration partners for a period of four years (with the possibility of a two-year extension), followed by specific grant agreements.

The start date of the Frontex Joint Reintegration Services is 1 April 2022. The budget earmarked for 2022 for the co-financing of activities under this Call for Proposals is EUR 14,300,000, while the total estimated budget for 2022-2026 is EUR 80,300,000.

Proposals may be submitted by any of the following applicants:

+ non-profit organisations

+ international organisations

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Arkiveringsdatum 211104:

Statewatch 21-10-17:

High level diplomacy between Frontex and Western Balkan partners

A meeting on 16 November 2021, co-organised by Frontex and the Slovenian Council Presidency, covered joint operations, information exchange and capacity building in a region seen by the EU as a "buffer zone" to deflect arrivals to its borders.

Heads of Border Police from the Western Balkans were hosted by Frontex this week to reaffirm partnership priorities, according to a Frontex news statement. Under the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Western Balkan region is considered to be "of great strategic importance for the EU in terms of migration management", and the EU has approached five states in particular - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia - as a "buffer zone" between Greece and other Schengen states, particularly since the overhaul of Frontex's mandate in 2019.

The joint conclusions on November's meeting emphasise encouragement to "swiftly conclude the remaining Status Agreements with the EU". The existing status agreements on Frontex activities in these states were initialled under the 2016 mandate. Those with both Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia are yet to be signed and ratified. This week's joint conclusions encourage alignment of these agreements with the agency's 2019 Regulation, which includes more stringent fundamental rights safeguards, but also allows the agency to conduct actions in states not bordering the EU. An annex to a Presidency Discussion Paper from January 2020 expressed an expectation that:

"...either the current Status Agreements with Western Balkan countries will be revised, or a dedicated international agreement is to be elaborated, allowing FRONTEX (and its Standing Corps) to collect and process personal data in those Western Balkan countries, resulting in the exchange of data at regional level. The data would be also accessible to EU Member States... Trainings in further data analysis could be offered to Western Balkan countries who received training on screening/debriefing."

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Frontex 21-11-16: Frontex and Slovenian Presidency host high-level meeting with Western Balkan partners (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 211006:

Statewatch 21-09-23:

EU Commission "to step up border management support at Libya's Southern border"

The European Commission intends "to step up border management support at Libya's Southern border," according to a draft action plan on cooperation on migration with Niger. New working arrangements will be signed between Frontex and EU missions EUCAP Sahel Niger and EUBAM Libya, that "could help the Governments of Niger and Libya shore up border management at their mutual land border," says the document.

See: NOTE from: Commission Services to: Delegations: Operationalization of the Pact - Action plans for strengthening comprehensive migration partnerships with priority countries of origin and transit Draft Action Plan: Niger (Council doc. 11950/21, LIMITE, 20 September 2021)

"The Commission intends to step up border management support at Libya's Southern border, while in parallel strengthening cross-border cooperation between Libya and its bordering countries in the South, including Niger.

In this context and in line with Niger's new Migration Action Plan, the EU will also aim to facilitate the conclusion of negotiations for working arrangements between EUCAP Sahel Niger and EUBAM Libya, on the one hand, and Frontex on the other. These working arrangements could help the Governments of Niger and Libya shore up border management at their mutual land border.

In light of the considerable deterioration of the security situation in the Sahel and political instability in neighbouring Chad, Mali and Libya, Niger remains a key partner in the Sahel in terms of addressing migration, notably as a transit country from West Africa towards Libya and Algeria, and further to the Mediterranean. The EU will seek to upgrade its close cooperation with Niger to address regional challenges related to migration and border management, such as migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings."

To back up these - and the many other activities listed - more money is heading the way of the Nigerien government:

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Statewatch 21-10-06:

EU border externalization policies further deepens the migrants' crisis in Tunisia

Statement circulated by the Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux on 1 October 2021.

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights is following with great concern the escalation of systematic violations against migrants from sub-Saharan Africa during the recent period. Rhetoric of hate and stigmatization against migrants and their presence in Tunisia on social networks recurred and developed into clashes in some neighborhoods of the city of Sfax, where, during the month of June, the security authorities took a discriminatory decision to evacuate an entire neighborhood of migrants.

The Forum constantly receives testimonies of systematic forcible deportations on the Tunisian-Algerian and Tunisian-Libyan borders, including women, pregnant women, and children. Yielding to European pressures, the Tunisian navy deliberately intercepts migrant boats departing from the Libyan coast in international waters. The intercepted migrants are disembarked in unsafe Tunisian ports, where neither the logistical possibilities nor a legal system that protects the rights of migrants and refugees and preserves their dignity are available. As a result of European pressures, the unjustified objections deepened the humanitarian crisis of migrants and refugees in Tunisia, prompting many of them to protest in front of the offices of UN organizations to demand more comprehensive protection and services that preserve their dignity.

As the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights condemns the official silence against all these violations, it:

+ Expresses its indignation at the forced deportations operations that are endangering the lives of migrants in contravention of Tunisia's international obligations

+ Calls for an international maritime rescue operation in the central Mediterranean to reduce the escalating human tragedies and to transfer migrants to safe ports

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Arkiveringsdatum 210921:

Statewatch 21-09-14:

Commission: suspend deportations, but deport Afghans to other "third countries"

A draft European Commission action plan on the response to people fleeing the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan says that an EU agreement facilitating deportations to the country is suspended - but encourages EU member states to continue deporting Afghan nationals to other third countries, where permitted by readmission agreements.

See: NOTE from: Commission Services to: Delegations: Operationalization of the Pact - Action plans for strengthening comprehensive migration partnerships with priority countries of origin and transit - Draft Action Plan responding to the events in Afghanistan (Council doc. 10472/1/21 REV 1, LIMITE, 10 September 2021)

Under the heading 'Goals for managing migration and addressing forced displacement - Lines to Take', the document says:

"Returns:

+ In the current context, the situation in Afghanistan is clearly not safe and it will not be safe for the foreseeable future. The implementation of the Joint Declaration on Migration Cooperation has been suspended.

+ As part of a comprehensive approach and ongoing dialogues on migration, the use of third-country national readmission clauses in the readmission agreements concluded (or being negotiated) by the EU with certain transit countries should be used where the legal requirements are met."

This point about suspending the Joint Declaration is repeated in an annex, 'EU cooperation and areas of engagement under the New Pact':

"With the understanding that it is Member States who implement decisions on return, under the current circumstances, the situation in Afghanistan is clearly not safe and it will not be safe for some time. The implementation of the Joint Declaration on Migration Cooperation is suspended."

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Judith Sunderland, Human Rights Watcb 21-09-02: EU's Cold-Hearted Response to Afghans at Risk (Extern länk)

Human Rights Watch 21-10-01: HRW Letter to Members of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council regarding resettlement and complementary pathways for Afghans (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210904:

IOM 21-08-17:

More funding to boost migrant return and reintegration in the Horn of Africa

New funding from the European Union (EU) will help the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partners accelerate assisted voluntary return and reintegration of vulnerable and stranded migrants in the Horn of Africa, a region with some of the world's busiest and most perilous migration routes.

"The top-up funding will enable the programme to further solidify the last four years of collaborative efforts and learning by partners and IOM towards setting new standards for migrant protection and reintegration," said Mitsue Pembroke, the deputy regional coordinator of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa (EU-IOM Joint Initiative).

The latest funding of EUR 5.95 million raises the total allocation to the EU-IOM Joint Initiative to EUR 64.7 million.

So far this year, 99 migrants have died in the Horn of Africa, while at least another 30 Ethiopian migrants perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Yemen in July, according to IOM's Missing Migrants Project which tracks migrant deaths,?including refugees and asylum-seekers who cannot be accounted for along migration routes worldwide.

The new funding also will enable capacity building for government and other partners and boost migration data collection and analysis to support evidence-based programming. Information and awareness raising will also be supported.

The Horn of Africa has three major international migratory routes - 'the Eastern Route' to the Arabian Peninsula, and in particular Saudi Arabia, through either?Obock in Djibouti or Bosaso in Somalia; 'the Northern Route' through Sudan towards northern Africa and Europe; and 'the Southern Route' towards the southern part of the continent, in particular South Africa.

The Eastern Route accounts for the largest number of irregular movements and fatalities in the region.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210808:

EU Council / Statewatch 21-07-23:

Proposed cooperation with North Africa received with "interest"

Two internal EU documents circulated in the Council: one containing the former Portuguese Presidency's assessment of North African states' responses to a proposed "enhanced political dialogue" on justice and home affairs issues; the other, the Commission's overview of "the main external migration dialogues and processes since 2019."

NOTE from: Commission Services to: Delegations: Update on the state of play of external cooperation in the field of migration policy (Council doc. 10471/21, LIMITE, 6 July 2021, pdf):

"The European Commission adopted the New Pact on Migration and Asylum on 23 September 2020, which contains a strong component on partnerships with third countries.

"This document provides an updated overview of the main external migration dialogues and processes since 2019. The document is compiled for the information of the EU High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration by the responsible European Commission and EEAS services."

NOTE from: Presidency to: Delegations: Portuguese Presidency's proposal for an EU-North Africa Enhanced Political dialogue on Justice and Home Affairs

"3. Assessment

The proposal was received with general, although cautious, interest. As expected, the reactions were of a preliminary nature. All countries [Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania] expressed their willingness to engage in dialogue and to study the proposal further.

Three main reactions can be singled out, regarding the links with neighborhood policy and other initiatives, the format, and themes.

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EU-kommissionen 21-08-04:

Commission reports on fulfilment of requirements by partnership eastern countries

Today, the Commission is presenting its 4th report on the monitoring of the EU visa-free regime with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, as well as Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The report focuses on actions taken in 2020 to address the recommendations in the 3rd Report under the Visa Suspension Mechanism. For countries that have been visa-exempt for less than 7 years (Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), the report also provides a more detailed assessment of other actions taken to ensure the continuous fulfilment of the benchmarks. The report concludes that all countries concerned continue to meet the visa liberalisation requirements and made progress in addressing last year's recommendations. At the same time, the report highlights areas where further efforts are needed from each country. The report also states that visa-free movement continues to bring positive economic, social and cultural benefits to EU Member States and partner countries.

Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said: "Visa-free travel between the EU and the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries is a significant achievement. While restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on mobility, visa-free countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership must continue and step up their efforts in managing migration and asylum and in fighting corruption and organised crime."

Migration, asylum and cooperation on readmission

The COVID-19 pandemic and the related travel restrictions had a major impact on migration and mobility to the EU. The vast majority of those who did travel to the EU did so with legitimate grounds. While all countries assessed continued to take measures to address irregular migration, further efforts are needed to address ongoing concerns:

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Arkiveringsdatum 210720:

Utrikesdepartementet 21-07-13:

Faktapromemoria: Partnerskap med länder i Afrika, Karibien och Stillahavsregionen

Faktapromemoria 2020/21:FPM121, rådsbeslut om partnerskapsavtal mellan 2020/EU och länder i Afrika, Karibien och Stillahavsregionen, COM (2021) 312 final

Sammanfattning

Förhandlingen om ett förnyat partnerskapsavtal mellan EU och medlemmarna i Organisationen för stater i Afrika, Karibien och Stillahavsområdet påbörjades i september 2018. Det nuvarande Cotonouavtalet, som undertecknades av EU:s medlemsstater och länderna i gruppen av stater i Afrika, Karibien och Stillahavsområdet år 2000, skulle ha löpt ut 2020 men förlängdes eftersom förhandlingarna om ett nytt avtal inte var avslutade. En politisk överenskommelse om ett nytt partnerskapsavtal nåddes den 3 december 2020. Det nya avtalet paraferades av chefsförhandlarna från EU och OSAKS den 15 april 2021. Den 11 juni 2021 presenterade kommissionen ett utkast till rådsbeslut om undertecknande och provisorisk tillämpning av ett nytt partnerskapsavtal.

Avtalet syftar till att stärka EU:s och medlemmarna i OSAKS förmåga att tillsammans bemöta globala utmaningar och ska gälla i minst 20 år. Avtalet innehåller gemensamma principer och fastställer följande prioriterade områden:

+ rättvis ekonomisk tillväxt och utveckling

+ klimatförändringar

+ mänsklig och social utveckling

+ fred och säkerhet

+ migration och rörlighet

Regeringen anser att den överenskomna avtalstexten är bra.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210701:

Frontex 21-06-16:

Frontex expands presence in Western Balkans with operation in Serbia

Today, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, is expanding its operational activities outside of the European Union with the launch of a new operation in Serbia.

Serbia is the third country in the Western Balkans to host a fully-fledged Frontex operation with 44 standing corps officers from 14 countries helping to detect criminal activities such as people smuggling, trafficking in human beings, document fraud and smuggling of stolen vehicles, illegal drugs, weapons and excise goods, as well as potential terrorist threats. In the coming months, the number of officers is expected to rise to up to 87 officers upon Serbia's request.

Frontex already has nearly 150 standing corps officers and staff taking part in operations in Albania and Montenegro, along with patrol cars, helicopters and other equipment.

"I am proud, with Serbian Minister of the Interior Aleksandar Vulin, to launch the first Frontex joint operation at Serbian border with Bulgaria. Frontex officers from 14 member states will work side by side with Serbian police officers to surveil and protect the border and fight smuggling and organised crime," said Commissioner Ylva Johansson. "This is another step forward for the broader Frontex."

"Our successful operations in the Western Balkan countries show that cooperation across borders is essential to tackle various cross-border criminal activities in this key region for Europe. I look forward to seeing Frontex officers working side-by-side with their Serbian colleagues at our borders," said Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri.

The operation will take place at Serbia's border with Bulgaria, which has seen a rising number of illegal border crossings in recent years. The operation will be coordinated from the Frontex headquarters in Warsaw, Poland while the Local Coordination Centre will be established in the premises of Border Crossing Point Gradina.

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Europeiska Rådet 21-06-25:

Toppmötet 24-25 juni 2021

EU-ländernas stats- och regeringschefer höll ett två dagar långt toppmöte i Bryssel.

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Europeiska rådet diskuterade migrationssituationen längs de olika rutterna. De åtgärder som har vidtagits av EU och dess medlemsländer har fått ned de totala irreguljära strömmarna under de senaste åren, men utvecklingen längs med vissa rutter ger anledning till oro och kräver fortsatt vaksamhet och snabba åtgärder.

EU-ländernas ledare enades om att ömsesidigt gynnsamma partnerskap och ömsesidigt gynnsamt samarbete med ursprungs- och transitländer ska intensifieras för att förhindra förluster av människoliv och minska trycket på de europeiska gränserna, som en del av EU:s yttre åtgärder.

Denna allmänna strategi bör omfatta alla migrationsrutter och ska

+ vara pragmatisk, flexibel och skräddarsydd

+ utnyttja alla tillgängliga instrument och incitament, i enlighet med Team Europe-strategin

+ ske i nära samarbete med FN:s flyktingorgan (UNHCR) och Internationella organisationen för migration

Europeiska rådet uppmanade EU-kommissionen och EU:s utrikeschef att i samarbete med medlemsländerna

+ omedelbart förstärka de konkreta insatserna med prioriterade ursprungs- och transitländer

+ under hösten 2021 lägga fram handlingsplaner för prioriterade ursprungs- och transitländer

De uppmanade också kommissionen att på bästa möjliga sätt utnyttja minst 10 % av instrumentet Europa i världen (NDICI), och finansieringen inom ramen för andra relevanta instrument för insatser med anknytning till migration.

Europeiska rådet fördömde alla försök från länder utanför EU att utnyttja migranter för politiska syften.

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Riksdagen 21-06-23: EU-nämndens uppteckningar inför detta rådsmöte (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210616:

Statewatch 21-06-04:

Council documents on coordination of externalisation, "partnerships" and Afghanistan

Three Council documents on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum's externalisation aspects, covering: how to establish better EU-national coordination on externalisation of migration control; how to implement comprehensive "partnerships" on migration with priority countries; and a more detailed overview on relations on migration with Afghanistan.

The documents will inform discussions at the Justice and Home Affairs Council taking place next week, on 7 and 8 June.

The agenda features a number of discussions on migration and border control issues.

1. Coordination mechanism for externalisation

"With the aim of increasing coordination, regular information sharing amongst EU actors should focus on:

+ Key achievements and overall assessment of the migration partnerships;

+ Way forward, with tangible next steps including concrete objectives;

+ measures/initiatives to guarantee full coherence of EU and Member States actions, and a better understanding of the measures necessary to improve the management of migratory flows.

2. Way forward

Improving the cooperation with partner countries must continue to be a priority through the establishment of new partnerships and the reinforcement of the existing ones. The majority of Member States consider SCIFA and the HLWG as the main fora to enhance coordination of migration with the Commission and EEAS, whilst staying fully informed of the implementation of these priorities, including the state of play of operational cooperation.

In this regard, the Presidency invites Member States to discuss enhanced coordination to advance the EU's external migration policy."

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Hela artikeln (Extern länk)

De läckta dokkumenten från ordförandeskapet:

Coordination mechanism - External dimension of the Pact on Migration and Asylum - Discussion paper, Council document 8539/21, LIMITE, 20 May 2021 (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

Follow-up to the Jumbo Meeting: Way ahead for the strengthening of comprehensive partnerships with key partner countries, Council document 8952/21, LIMITE, 25 May 2021 (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

Implementing the Pact - strengthening comprehensive migration partnerships with priority countries: - Afghanistan, Council document 8953/21, LIMITE, 25 May 2021 (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210504:

EU-kommissionen 21-04-15:

Q & A on the new EU/Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Partnership Agreement

What is the African-Caribbean-Pacific/EU partnership and what is it about?

The ACP-EU partnership is one of the oldest and most comprehensive frameworks for cooperation between the EU and partner countries. It unites over 1.5 billion people stretched over four continents. More specifically, the partnership connects the EU with 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Our collaboration is wide-ranging and based on the values and ambitions that bring the EU and ACP countries closer together. In the past years, the partnership has been focusing on the eradication of poverty and inclusive sustainable development in ACP countries. Our action revolves around three key areas: political dialogue, development cooperation and trade.

Why a new Partnership Agreement?

The current legal framework for the partnership, the Cotonou Agreement, was signed in 2000 for a twenty-year period and due to expire on 29 February 2020. This is why negotiations on a new Partnership Agreement to succeed it (hence the "Post-Cotonou" reference) started in September 2018. In the meanwhile, the application of the Cotonou Agreement has been extended until 30 November 2021.

In addition, time had come to draw lessons from our cooperation and to adapt the new ACP-EU partnership to the new realities and aspirations. The world has greatly changed since the Cotonou Agreement was adopted two decades ago. And so have the EU and its partners. This meant redefining our objectives, while setting new ambitions to respond to the emerging needs and challenges. Negotiations were conducted in line with the EU negotiating directives adopted by the Council in June 2018. Note that the ACP Group of States became an international organisation, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in April 2020.

What are the new priorities?

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Partnerskapsavtalet (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210416:

European Parliament Think Tank 21-04- 07;

The external dimension of the new pact: A focus on prevention and readmission

Written by Eric Pichon

The challenges posed by migration have put EU Member States' solidarity to the test. Responding to a European Council request, in September 2020 the European Commission proposed a new pact on migration and asylum, to reinforce solidarity among the Member States and to strengthen EU migration management and asylum procedures, while also making them more consistent. The proposed pact has an external aspect as well: building on current EU migration partnership frameworks, it aims to reinforce international partnerships with a view to ensuring effective returns, combating migrant smuggling more effectively, and developing legal migration channels.

In the context of migration, the EU's external policy has among its objectives to help third countries tackle the root causes of irregular migration or quests for asylum. The European Parliament often emphasises this point, while warning at the same time that security and migration management concerns should not result in diverting funds from core EU development cooperation objectives.

This is also a concern among academia and non-governmental organisations dealing with migration issues: several have pointed out that the Commission's proposals for the above-mentioned pact and the working document, recommendations and legislative proposals accompanying it put a lesser emphasis on pathways to legal migration than on measures aimed at incentivising third countries to retain possible irregular migrants or to accept returns.

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Arkiveringsdatum 210402:

Regeringen 21-03- 16:

Fakta-PM om EU-förslag om förnyat partnerskap med länderna kring Medelhavet

Ett förnyat partnerskap med det södra 2020/21:FPM83 grannskapet - en ny dagordning för Medelhavet, Dokumentbeteckning JOIN (2021) 2

/Utdrag ur regeringens PM, sammanfattning:/

Det gemensamma meddelandet från kommissionen och EU:s utrikestjänst syftar till att förnya och fördjupa samarbetet med Algeriet, Egypten, Israel, Jordanien, Libanon, Libyen, Marocko, Palestina och Tunisien. Dessa länder utgör det södra grannskapet. Syrien, som formellt ingår, är suspenderad sedan 2011. EU:s avsikt är att ingå ett partnerskap med det södra grannskapet.

Kommissionens och utrikestjänstens meddelande förespråkar en bred, djup och ambitiös ansats för att hantera gemensamma utmaningar för Europeiska unionen och det södra grannskapet. Fem sakområden har identifierats och föreslås för samarbete. De är mänsklig utveckling och god samhällsstyrning, ökad bärkraft och välstånd, fred och säkerhet, migration och rörlighet samt miljö, energi och stärkt motståndskraft mot klimatförändringar.

Meddelandet åtföljs av en ekonomisk respektive en investeringsplan för det södra grannskapet. Den innehåller förslag på tolv flaggskeppsprojekt och ett tjugotal bilaterala eller multilaterala projekt, baserat på partnerländernas önskemål. De föreslås inom de fem prioriterade områdena för att bidra till återhämtningen från Covid-19-pandemins socio-ekonomiska konsekvenser och till en långsiktig hållbar utveckling.

Regeringen stödjer förnyade och fördjupade relationer med det södra grannskapet, som grundar sig i EU:s grundläggande värderingar och rättsprinciper. Det nya partnerskapet bör fokusera på gemensamma utmaningar och bidra till en återhämtning av regionen och en hållbar utveckling i linje med Agenda 2030. Meddelandet är en bra bas för det fortsätta arbetet för att genomföra dessa målsättningar.

Se även:

Europeiska unionens råd 21-03-15: Informell videokonferens med utrikes- och inrikesministrarna, 15 mars 2021 (Extern länk)

Riksdagen 21-03-12: Anteckningar från riksdagens EU-nämnd med diskussion inför ministrarnas videomöte den 15 mars (Extern länk)

Se även läckt dokument och kommentarer:

Europeiska unionens råd 20-03-05, dokument inför videomötet läckt via Statewatch: Joint issues paper on the external dimension of the EU's migration policy under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (Extern länk)

Statewatch 21-03-11: Tracking the Pact: Migration obsession drives plans to boost the "external dimension" (Extern länk)

Statewatch 21-04-19: Tracking the Pact: North Africa a key focus for new "comprehensive" migration deals (Extern länk)

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ActionAid / Statewatch 21-03-16:

Libya key to EU plan to build a "big wall" against migration, says new report

Libya lies at the heart of a strategy for which funds from Italy, EU institutions and other member states have been channelled through an opaque financing mechanism with the central aim of reducing migration from Africa to Europe, says a new report by ActionAid.

Investment against migration

Placed outside the EU budget, and therefore not subject to scrutiny by the European Parliament, a total of ¤1.337 billion from the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa was spent across the continent over five years to tackle migration through "extraordinary interventions".

The focus was on border management and the "root causes of migration" in Africa, broadly explained as "economic vulnerability" or "lack of stability". Described by ActionAid as the bricks used to build a "big wall" between Europe and Africa, these interventions ranged from development investments to border guard training in over 20 African countries and the Italian-led "reconstruction" of the Libyan Coast Guard.

Among the 24 beneficiary African States of the Emergency Trust Fund from 2015 to the end of 2020, Sudan (¤442 million) ranks first, followed by Ethiopia (¤336 million), Somalia (¤312 million), Libya (¤309 million), and Niger (¤279 million).

The Trust Fund - which has the full title of 'Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa' - was set up in November 2015 after the Valletta Summit, where the EU, its member states and African states agreed on a number of ways to slow or halt migration to Europe.

According to a 2017 investigation by Oxfam, "most projects are designed to restrict and discourage irregular migration through migration containment and control," while "a meagre 3% of the budget is allocated to developing safe and regular routes."

The Italian job

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Arkiveringsdatum 210314:

Europeiska unionens råd 21-03-12:

Informell videokonferens med inrikesministrarna, 12 mars 2021

- Samarbete med länder utanför EU om återvändande och återtagande

Ministrarna diskuterade de yttre aspekterna av migration utifrån ett meddelande från kommissionen om ökat samarbete om återvändande och återtagande och en bedömning av samarbetet med länder utanför EU om återtagande som del av den nya mekanismen i viseringskodexen.

Ministrarna upprepade vikten av ett effektivt samarbete om återvändande och återtagande som en del av det övergripande samarbetet om migration med länder utanför EU. Man enades om att arbetet på detta område snabbt bör fortsätta för att så snabbt som möjligt förbättra samarbetet med länder av central betydelse i sammanhanget. Ordförandeskapet kommer nu att fortsätta arbetet på teknisk nivå på grundval av denna diskussion.

- Migrations- och asylpakten

Ordförandeskapet informerade ministrarna om läget i förhandlingarna om migrations- och asylpakten. Arbete pågår med paktens många olika frågor på olika nivåer.

På politisk nivå meddelade ordförandeskapet sin avsikt att fokusera på några av de huvudsakliga politiska frågor som identifierats vid tidigare diskussioner, bl.a. den yttre dimensionen, en effektiv förvaltning av EU:s yttre gränser och frågan om solidaritet och ansvar. På teknisk nivå fortskrider arbetet med de instrument som är kopplade till den inre dimensionen av migration. Diskussionen har kommit långt vad gäller några av dessa instrument, särskilt EU:s asylbyrå och blåkortsdirektivet.

Samarbetet mellan EU och länderna i Nordafrika

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Artikeln med länkar till bakgrundsdokument (Extern länk)

Riksdagen 21-03-05: Anteckningar från EU-nämndens samråd inför ministrarnas videomöte den 11-12 mars 2021 (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 210226:

Statewatch 21-02-09:

Migration and asylum: updates to the EU-Africa 'Joint Valletta Action Plan' on the way

In November 2015 European and African heads of state met at a summit in Valletta, Malta, "to discuss a coordinated answer to the crisis of migration and refugee governance in Europe." Since then joint activities on migration and asylum have increased significantly, according to documents published here by Statewatch. The Council is now examining an update to the 'Joint Valletta Action Plan' (JVAP) and considering how to give it "a renewed sense of purpose".

From discussion paper (Council document 5721/21, LIMITE, 9 February 2021) emphasis in original):

"The JVAP has an important bearing within the GAMM [Global Approach on Migration and Mobility] and in the EU migration policies context, since it established the first ever framework for exchanges and monitoring of migration priorities involving a significant number of both European and African partners. The JVAP plays an important role in the implementation of the proposed new Pact on Migration and Asylum, tabled by the Commission in September 2020.

"Over the last five years, the JVAP's operational focus has grown in size and scope, as evidenced by the JVAP database.

Several other benefits stem from the strategic linkage between the JVAP and the two Processes. One worth mentioning is the growing operationalisation of the regional migration dialogues through, in particular, the development of resources with an operational focus and the participant profiling, increasingly adapted to the stakes of the meetings. For example, the Rabat Process has developed the labelling mechanism, the reference countries system and the laboratory of ideas to step up the implementation and monitoring of each area of the Marrakesh Action Plan."

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Joint Valetta plan - Updated version (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

Five years after the adoption of the Joint Valetta Action Plan: debate on the way forward - discussion paper (Extern länk till pdf-fil)

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Arkiveringsdatum 201207:

Statewatch 20-11-27:

Parliament: compliance with migration control should be a condition for EU aid

On Wednesday the European Parliament voted in favour of a report that says the provision of development aid by the EU should depend on recipient states' compliance with "migration management" measures. A last-minute amendment by the MEP responsible for the file reversed the original position of the report. Human rights groups have condemned the move.

Denying aid on the basis of EU migration objectives is wrong (Concord, link, emphasis added):

"Brussels, 27 November 2020 - On Wednesday, after a surprise move by the Chair of the Development Committee, Tomas Tobé, the European Parliament voted in favour of making EU aid to developing countries conditional on their compliance with EU migration control objectives.

The Development Committee of the European Parliament has been working on the report "Improving development effectiveness and efficiency of aid" since January 2020. However, shortly before the plenary vote on Wednesday, Tomas Tobé of the EPP group, suddenly added an amendment to allow the EU to refuse to give aid to partner countries that don't comply with EU migration requirements.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201111:

Europeiska Rådet 20-10-23:

Statement EU - Western Balkans Ministerial forum on Justice and Home Affairs

The Minister of Justice of Germany and the State Secretary for Home Affairs, representing the Presidency of the Council of the EU, together with the European Commission, represented by the European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, met via videoconference on 22 October 2020 with their counterparts from the Western Balkans at the annual EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the incoming Portuguese and Slovene Presidencies. The following matters were discussed:

HOME AFFAIRS

Increasing information exchange and cooperation for better migration management

The EU and the Western Balkans reaffirmed their common interest in increasing bilateral cooperation for more efficient migration management, involving also EU Member States and EU agencies. The ministers expressed support for increasing regional information exchange in the Western Balkans region on the subject of migration. In this context, the ministers exchanged views on the idea of developing interoperable domestic information systems, modelled on Eurodac standards, in the Western Balkans to record data on migrants. The Commission reiterated its readiness to provide technical support.

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Arkiveringsdatum 201023:

Statewatch 20-10-15:

Tracking the Pact: Cooperation against smuggling with Balkan and African "partners"

The EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum reiterated the long-standing priority for the EU and its member states to work more closely with "third countries" to control migration. In practice, this has led to serious abuses and even deaths, as smugglers engage in increasingly-complex and dangerous circumvention of border controls and police operations. Nevertheless, the EU is pushing ahead with new initiatives seeking to formalise cooperation with Balkan and African states on anti-migrant smuggling operations.

The EU has long sought to step up cooperation with non-EU states on migration issues, including action against migrant smuggling. A number of operational initiatives have been ongoing for some time, as set out in this document (link to "Internal Security Fund - Police " pages 10 and 11, pdf).

The new Pact on Migration and Asylum calls for more such activities as part of "mutually beneficial partnerships with key third countries of origin and transit", and as the documents outlined below indicate, a number of steps are being taken. These partnerships may not be so beneficial for people on the move.

An "operational platform" for the Balkans

Council of the EU: NOTE from: Presidency to: Strategic Committee on Frontiers, Asylum and Immigration: Western-Balkans-Initiative and "Operational Platform Eastern Mediterranean Route" - Presidency discussion paper (10742/20, LIMITE, 18 September 2020, pdf)

The document notes:

"The Eastern Mediterranean / Western Balkans region is of great strategic importance for the EU in terms of migration management."

Significant work is underway:

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EU-kommissionen 20-10-13: Strengthened partnerships on migration discussed at the EU-IOM strategic meeting (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 201002:

Amnesty International 20-09-24:

New evidence shows refugees and migrants trapped in horrific cycle of abuses

Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants in Libya are trapped in a vicious cycle of cruelty with little to no hope of finding safe and legal pathways out, Amnesty International said in a new report published today. After enduring unconscionable suffering in Libya, refugees and migrants risk their lives at sea seeking safety in Europe, only to be intercepted, transferred back to Libya and delivered to the same abuses they sought to escape. This comes a day after the European Commission announced its new 'Migration Pact', a major pillar of which is even stronger cooperation with countries outside the EU to control migration flows.

The report 'Between life and death': Refugees and migrants trapped in Libya's cycle of abuse documents the harrowing accounts of refugees and migrants who have suffered or witnessed a litany of abuses in Libya including unlawful killings; enforced disappearances; torture and other ill-treatment; rape and other sexual violence; arbitrary detention; and forced labour and exploitation at the hands of state and non-state actors in a climate of near-total impunity. The report also details more recent developments, including the transfer of people disembarked in Libya to unofficial places of detention - such as Tripoli's notorious Tobacco Factory - and the summary deportation of thousands of refugees and migrants from Libya's eastern regions.

"Libya, a country torn apart by years of war, has become an even more hostile environment for refugees and migrants seeking a better life. Instead of being protected, they are met with a catalogue of appalling human rights abuses and now unfairly blamed for the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on deeply racist and xenophobic grounds. Despite this, even in 2020 the EU and its member states continue to implement policies trapping tens of thousands of men, women and children in a vicious cycle of abuse, showing a callous disregard for people's lives and dignity," said Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

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Frontex / Statewatch 20-09-25:

Frontex: Report on cooperation with third countries in 2019

The report gives an overview of Frontex's engagement with non-EU states during 2019 on issues such as surveillance, risk analysis and training. It was circulated to the European Commission, Council of the EU and European Parliament in June 2019.

International cooperation

"To use the momentum and to bring the Western Balkan authorities ever closer to the European border and coast guard family, in June the Agency for the first time organised a high-level meeting between the Frontex Management Board and the Chiefs of Western Balkan border authorities. This meeting was an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on common challenges, such as fights against cross-border crime and illegal immigration, and explore areas for even closer cooperation, particularly in view of the future implementation of the Status Agreements."

"Strengthening the dialogue with partners in North and West Africa is among the core priorities of the Agency's international cooperation. In addition to the implementation of two capacity building projects... a number of familiarisation visits and high-level exchanges were held in 2019. Over the course of the year, Frontex Executive Director visited Morocco and Senegal."

"The Agency continued to further develop its network of Frontex Liaison Officers (FLO) in third countries, most notably, with the preparation of two new deployments - to Senegal and to the Western Balkans region... the FLO [in Albania] will reinforce the FLO based in Belgrade and will cover Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.

The FLOs to Turkey, Niger and the Western Balkans (main seat in Serbia) consolidated their presence in their respective countries or regions in support of the overall cooperation with the Agency, and contributed to the European Immigration Liaison Officers Network in their respective host country or region."

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Arkiveringsdatum 200805:

Delmi 20-05-06:

Anti-smuggling and Anti-trafficking Measures compatible with the EU Charter?

Report and Policy Brief 2020:4

Human smuggling and human trafficking might lead to serious human suffering and death. The aim of the fight against smuggling and trafficking is to prevent such suffering and protect vulnerable people. However, could the European Union's actual measures for their prevention lead to human rights law violations?

2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the U.N. Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, known as the Palermo Protocol. It is then worth to evaluate which efforts have been carried out in order to prevent trafficking, but also the consequences of it. The report Anti-smuggling and Anti-trafficking Measures: Are they compatible with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights? (Delmi 2020:4) examines the compatibility of the EU measures against human smuggling and human trafficking with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The measures, which are part of the EU's externalisation and outsourcing of migration control to third countries, are not new. However, since 2016 the EU has been prioritising these forms of controls by providing incentives for third countries to restrict the movement of migrants.

The containment of people in third countries and preventing people from leaving, interfere with the right to asylum, including the right to leave to seek asylum. The measures that interfere with this right must also pursue legitimate objectives in order to be permissible, e.g. saving lives.

The report concludes that the EU and its Member States might have failed to fulfil their positive obligations to ensure the right to life. It also concludes that the EU and its Member States might be in violation of the right to leave to seek asylum.

The report is written by Dr. Vladislava Stoyanova, Associate Professor at Lund University.

The Delmi Report Anti-smuggling and Anti-trafficking Measures: Are they compatible with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights? (2020:4) is launched at this website 6 May 2020.

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Statewatch News 20-07-20:

"Migration management" in the Western Balkans focused on control measures

An internal Council survey of EU member states' assistance for Western Balkans countries shows that the emphasis is very clearly on migration control measures, with "the majority of bilateral support... provided in two areas, namely border management and combating the smuggling of migrants (over 50% of all MS activities)".

The results of the survey "also indicate a very low level of general support in the field of integration (2%) and the legal migration scheme (4%), as well as a relatively low level of support in the fields of asylum (6%), reception (8%) and return (7%)," says the paper.

A detailed Annex examines the results of the survey, which received responses from 23 member states. It refers to "joint HLWG/SCIFA discussions" - this is the High-Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration and the Strategic Committee on Frontiers, Immigration and Asylum, two high-level Council working groups.

A meeting between those two groups in February this year apparently concluded that EU support should focus on:

"promoting efficient border management (including through the conclusion and implementation of all EBCG [European Border and Coast Guard, i.e. Frontex] Status Agreements and through alignment with the EU's common visa policy), increasing capacity for voluntary returns and stepping up support for readmission in countries of origin, combating human smuggling, continuing efforts to strengthen asylum and reception systems, while also building up more political will and ownership of migration actions, efficient exchange of information on irregular movements and migration management capacities among Western Balkan partners and with the EU, funding support."

From transit countries to buffer states

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Frontex 20-07-15: Frontex launches second operation outside EU (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200624:

Rådet 20-05-26:

Gränsförvaltning: EU ingår avtal med Montenegro och Serbien om Frontex-samarbete

Rådet antog i dag två beslut om att ingå avtal med Montenegro och Serbien om gränsförvaltningssamarbete mellan dessa länder och Europeiska gräns- och kustbevakningsbyrån (Frontex).

Ett nära samarbete med våra partner på västra Balkan är avgörande om vi ska kunna ta itu med de gemensamma utmaningar som vi står inför. De avtal som i dag ingås om gränsförvaltningssamarbete med Montenegro och Serbien är en viktig del av vår övergripande strategi för gränsförvaltning.

Davor Bo?inovi?, Kroatiens vice premiärminister och inrikesminister

Genom avtalen kan Frontex hjälpa Montenegro och Serbien med gränsförvaltning och gemensamma insatser och placera ut enheter i de regioner i dessa länder som gränsar till EU, om Serbien och Montenegro godkänner detta.

Syftet med verksamheten är att bekämpa olaglig invandring, i synnerhet plötsliga förändringar i migrationsströmmarna, och gränsöverskridande brottslighet, och kan innefatta ökat tekniskt och operativt bistånd vid gränsen.

Ett stärkt samarbete mellan prioriterade länder utanför EU och Frontex kommer att bidra till hanteringen av olaglig invandring och ytterligare förbättra säkerheten vid EU:s yttre gränser.

Vad händer nu

Montenegro har meddelat att landet ingår avtalet. Det kommer att träda i kraft den 1 juli.

Serbiens förfarande för ingående av avtalet har ännu inte slutförts. Så snart det sker träder det avtalet i kraft.

Bakgrund

Ett första avtal om samarbete kring gränsförvaltning ingicks med Albanien 2019. Efter det inledde Frontex den första gemensamma insatsen någonsin i ett grannland utanför EU. Detta skedde i Albanien den 22 maj 2019.

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Rådet 20-06-05:

Western Balkans: Council calls for enhanced cooperation in migration and security

The Council today adopted conclusions on enhancing cooperation with Western Balkans partners in the field of migration and security.

The conclusions call for continued support to the Western Balkans to:

achieve a more efficient migration policy and border management, further improve their asylum systems and enhance cooperation on readmission and return

effectively combat organised crime, terrorism and violent extremism

boost their ability to address the spread of disinformation and fake news and to respond to possible cyber-attacks and hybrid threats

The conclusions put a focus on reinforcing operational cooperation between the Western Balkans and the EU, notably by developing information exchange and cooperation with the EU Agencies. The conclusions also call to reflect on developing new tools, based on existing EU ones such as Eurodac, to enable information exchange within the Western Balkans region.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200523:

Human Rights Watch 20-04-28:

Time to review and remedy cooperation policies facilitating abuse in Libya

NGOs Joint Statement

One year after the resumption of the armed conflict in Tripoli, and at a time when the humanitarian situation in Libya continues to deteriorate due to further military escalation and the spreading of the Covid-19 virus, Amnesty International, the Italian Recreational and Cultural Association (ARCI), Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI), Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EuroMed Rights), the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), Human Rights Watch (HRW), International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Lawyers for Justice in Libya (LFJL), Oxfam International, and Saferworld are calling on EU institutions to stop any actions trapping people in a country where they are in constant, grave danger.

EU institutions should review and reform the bloc's policies of cooperation with Libya on migration and border management and control. During the past three years, these have facilitated the containment of tens of thousands of women, men and children in a country where they have been exposed to appalling abuse.

The call coincides with the submission by GLAN, ASGI and ARCI of a complaint before the European Court of Auditors (ECA). In their complaint, the three organisations are requesting the body to launch an audit into EU's cooperation with Libya. Such an audit would seek to determine whether the EU has breached its financial regulations, as well as its human rights obligations, in its support for Libyan border management.

The EU cooperation with Libya on border control and its consequences

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EU-parlamentet 20-04-28:

Stop cooperation with and funding to the Libyan coastguard, MEPs ask

The EU should stop channeling funds to Libya to manage migration and to train its coastguard, as the violation of human rights of migrants and asylum-seekers continues.

In a debate in the Civil Liberties Committee with representatives of the Commission, Frontex, UNHCR, the Council of Europe and NGOs, a majority of MEPs insisted that Libya is not a "safe country" for disembarkation of people rescued at sea and demanded that the cooperation with the Libyan coastguard stops.

Most of the speakers acknowledged the challenges faced by front line countries receiving most of the migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing Libya, namely Italy and Malta, and underlined that the European common asylum system needs to be reshuffled, with a focus on solidarity among member states and respect of international legislation. Others made clear that member states are entitled to protect their borders, especially in the middle of a health crisis such as the current one. Some instead criticised the closure of ports due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed that letting people drown cannot be a solution.

Background

According to UNHCR, the human rights situation inside Libya is extremely complicated, in the context of intensifying combat, the coronavirus crisis and the high number of economic migrants, refugees and internally displaced people needing material and humanitarian assistance. Around 1,500 people remain in detention centers in appalling conditions, arbitrary detentions continue to take place and resettlement schemes of the most vulnerable people to neighbouring countries have been suspended.

Since the beginning of the year, 3,277 persons have arrived in Italy by sea and 1,135 in Malta. On 1 April, the EU naval Operation Irini succeeded Operation Sophia, with a focus on enforcing the arms embargo to Libya, in an attempt to contribute to the pacification of the country.

Se debatten (Extern länk)

EU-observer 20-04-24: EU shores up Libyan coast guard amid Covid-19 scare (Extern länk)

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EU-parlamentet yyy 20-05-13:

The European Parliament approve agreement allowing Frontex operations in Serbia

EU-Serbia status agreement on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Serbia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the draft Council decision (15581/2018),

- having regard to the draft Status Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of Serbia (15579/2018),

- having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 77(2), points (b) and (d), Article 79(2), point (c), and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9 0180/2019),

- having regard to Rule 105(1) and (4) and Rule 114(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A9-0019/2020),

1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Republic of Serbia.

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EU-Montenegro status agreement on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Montenegro (Extern länk)

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Statewatch 20-05-18:

369 Syrians deported to Turkey through EU fund for refugees

At the end of April the European Commission slipped out the 'Fourth Annual Report on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey', which summarises how the ¤6 billion committed by the EU and the member states to projects in Turkey, as part of the March 2016 EU-Turkey deal, has been used. Amongst other things, the funds have paid for the deportation of 369 Syrians from the EU to Turkey.

According to the report, all "operational funds" from the ¤6 billion has now officially been committed to expenditure. As of 31 December 2019, the Commission had contracted ¤4.7 billion of projects, with ¤3.2 billion disbursed.

In a section on "migration management", the report notes that:

"The Facility has covered the costs incurred in the management of returns (transportation, hosting) of 369 Syrians and 1 605 non-Syrians, as well as the construction of a removal centre for 750 people."

There is apparently an ongoing shift from humanitarian to development assistance, with an updated strategy pointing to the need to move to "more sustainable and durable solutions in the context of a protracted crisis and beyond the life-span of the Facility, and the disbursement of EUR 6 billion."

European Commission: Fourth Annual Report on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (COM(2020) 162 final, pdf)

Amongst other things, the report notes (all emphasis added):

(...)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200324:

ECRE 20-03-13:

Joint Communication on EU Strategy with Africa

This Monday, the European External Action Service and the European Commission (EC) published a Joint Communication: Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa which sets out the vision of the two institutions regarding the future EU-Africa partnership. It suggests what it defines as a balanced, coherent and comprehensive approach to migration and mobility as its proposed action for the partnership with Africa.

The communication broadly stresses the need for a "balanced, coherent and comprehensive approach to migration and mobility, guided by the principles of solidarity, partnership and shared responsibility and based on the respect for human rights and international law". It refers to the EU's commitment to support African countries in addressing the "refugee crisis" and in finding durable solutions, including resettling refugees in Europe. However, at the practical level the suggested partnership on migration and mobility reaffirms the previous approach to managing migration and mobility, referring to the joint Valetta action plan, the Khartoum and Rabat process, the EU partnership framework on migration and the AU-EU-UN trilateral task force on migration.

The communication emphasizes the prevention of irregular migration, fight against smuggling and trafficking as priorities alongside effective border management. It also stresses the need to improve cooperation on return and readmission and mentioned support for voluntary returns and effective implementation and conclusion of readmission arrangements as actions. This should happen in parallel to stepping up cooperation on legal migration. The proposed action of partnering with Africa to ensure a balanced, coherent and comprehensive approach to migration and mobility further makes reference to the Sustainable Development Goals no 1 (on poverty) and 10 (on inequalities).

(...)

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EU:s ministerråd för utrikes frågor 20-03-06:

Uttalande angående krisen i Idlib och situationen vid EU:s yttre gränser med Turkiet.

EU är medvetet om den ökade migrationsbördan och de ökade risker som Turkiet står inför på sitt territorium och de betydande ansträngningar som landet har gjort i och med att det tagit emot 3,7 miljoner migranter och flyktingar, men upprepar sin djupa oro över situationen vid den grekisk-turkiska gränsen och motsätter sig bestämt att Turkiet använder migrationstrycket för politiska syften. Denna situation vid EU:s yttre gränser är oacceptabel. EU och dess medlemsstater förblir fast beslutna att effektivt skydda EU:s yttre gränser. Olagliga gränspassager kommer inte att tolereras. I detta avseende kommer EU och dess medlemsstater i enlighet med EU-rätten och internationell rätt att vidta alla nödvändiga åtgärder. Migranter bör inte uppmuntras att försöka att olagligen ta sig över gränserna land- eller sjövägen. Rådet uppmanar den turkiska regeringen och alla aktörer och organisationer på fältet att förmedla detta budskap vidare och motverka spridningen av falsk information.

EU bekräftar också sin fulla solidaritet med Grekland, som står inför en aldrig tidigare skådad situation, samt med Bulgarien, Cypern och andra medlemsstater som kan vara drabbade på liknande sätt, inbegripet när det gäller insatser för att förvalta EU:s yttre gränser. Rådet välkomnar det praktiska stöd som kommissionen tillkännagav den 4 mars 2020. Man kommer också att fortsätta att ha ett nära samarbete med partnerna på västra Balkan i detta avseende.

Rådet erinrar om att det förväntar sig att Turkiet fullt ut genomför bestämmelserna i 2016 års gemensamma uttalande med avseende på alla medlemsstater. Detta uttalande leder till påtagliga resultat, bland annat genom att stödja Turkiets betydande ansträngningar för att ta emot migranter och flyktingar. Såväl EU som Turkiet tjänar på att detta samarbete och engagemang fortsätter.

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Europeiska rådet 20-03-09:

Remarks after the meeting with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Brussels

We had tonight a meeting with President Erdogan. A few days after my visit in Ankara, it was important to have this occasion to exchange our views on different topics related to the relationship between Turkey and the European Union. And of course, the first topic we discussed is the implementation of the deal between the European Union and Turkey on migration. We had the occasion to share our different opinions about the implementation of this deal a few years after this agreement.

We had the opportunity to discuss a number of issues with President Erdogan. The first issue we discussed was, of course, migration. The meeting was an opportunity for us to attempt to clarify a number of positions, interpretations and comments relating to the implementation of the agreement between the European Union and Turkey. In particular, we had the chance to show how the European Union has implemented financial commitments - the promise to mobilise a total of EUR 6 billion to support the refugees who are in Turkey. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the responsibility that Turkey has taken on in attending to migrants present on Turkish soil.

We also had the chance to explain the difference, for the European Union, between the amounts which have been paid and disbursed, since the procedures have been completed and the projects carried out, and the amounts committed, i.e. set aside as part of the EUR 6 billion envelope mobilised under this agreement. That is the first point.

Second point: we had an opportunity to discuss security in the region, particularly in Syria, and to highlight our mobilisation in support of any political solution leading to more stability, and in particular to highlight our very great concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Idlib and at the border between Turkey and Syria. We also noted the possible mobilisation of the European Union to attempt to provide support in that area.

(...)

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Riksdagen 20-03-13:

EU-nämndens extra samråd inför rådets möte den 13 mars

/Utdrag:/

Anf. 2 Statssekreterare LARS WESTBRATT:

Som ni ser har ordförandeskapet lagt till en ny dagordningspunkt om migration på RIF-rådets dagordning. Det är en uppföljning från förra veckans extrainsatta rådsmöte som man hade. Som ni också känner till antogs vid förra veckans möte ett gemensamt uttalande.

Av det uttalandet framgår bland annat att rådet ska visa solidaritet med Grekland, Bulgarien och Cypern. Turkiet ska fullt ut genomföra EU-Turkiet-uttalandet. Illegala gränspassager ska inte tolereras. Nödvändiga åtgärder som EU och EU:s medlemsstater företar ska stå i överensstämmelse med både EU-rätt och internationell rätt samt att medlemsstaterna och EU-byråerna är beredda att utöka sitt stöd.

Vid dagens rådsmöte ska som sagt inga beslut fattas. Däremot kan vi förvänta oss att Ylva Johansson kommer att berätta om sina intryck från besöket i Grekland som hon hade i veckan. Kommissionen förväntas också ge en uppdatering när det gäller handlingsplanen till Grekland som presenterades i samband med det extrainsatta RIF-rådet. Troligen kommer också Grekland att kunna ge en uppdaterad lägesbild av hur läget ser ut.

Som ni också känner till träffade Europeiska rådets ordförande Michel, kommissionens ordförande von der Leyen och president Erdogan i måndags. Ett konkret resultat av det mötet är att EU och Turkiet ska gå igenom uttalandet från 2016 för att klargöra hur båda sidorna ser på uttalandet och genomförandet av de åtaganden som man har sagt i och med uttalandet.

(...)

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EU-nämndens uppteckningar från samråd den 4 mars (Extern länk)

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EU-parlamentet 20-03-10:

Grek-turkiska gränsen: ledamöterna avfärdar Turkiets påtryckningar

EU måste hjälpa Grekland att hantera situationen vid landets gräns mot Turkiet, men samtidigt se till att de som har rätt till asyl kan ansöka om det, anser ledamöterna.

Under tisdagens plenardebatt med Ylva Johansson, EU:s kommissionär med ansvar för inrikes frågor, och representanter för det kroatiska ordförandeskapet kritiserade en majoritet av ledamöterna i kammaren Turkiets president Erdogan för att använda människors lidande i politiska syften. Många talare underströk också vikten av att den migrationskris som ägde rum 2015 inte får upprepas och insisterade på att EU måste uppdatera unionens gemensamma asylregler.

Vissa av de politiska gruppernas ledare efterfrågade en revidering av EU:s rådande avtal med Turkiet, som slöts 2016 för att minska antalet flyktingar och migranter som försöker ta sig till Europa, i utbyte mot finansiellt stöd till Turkiet. Andra uttryckte sin skarpa oro över den försämrade humanitära situationen, både vid den grek-turkiska gränsen och på de grekiska öarna, där tusentals asylsökare, inklusive många ensamkommande flyktingbarn, för närvarande är strandsatta.

Vikten av att respektera Genèvekonventionen och erbjuda skydd till flyktingar, anklagelserna om polisvåld riktat mot människor som den senaste tiden försökt ta sig över den grek-turkiska gränsen och risken för att jihadister nu kan försöka ta sig tillbaka till EU:s territorium togs också upp under debatten.

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Amnesty International 20-03-09: EU Leaders meeting with Erdogan must share responsibility (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 200306:

ECRE 20-02-28:

ECRE working paper: Civil society input to EU-Africa cooperation on migration

Author: Andrew Songa*

This working paper outlines the way in which the EU has elevated migration as a key issue within the EU-AU partnership, which resulted in significant financial support for migration-related projects and policies. It goes on to problematize the focus on cooperation geared towards increased returns and readmissions of irregular migrants and enhancement of border security and management. The financial support also produced normative advancements for migration at the AU level, notably the Migration Policy Framework for Africa and the Plan of Action. The paper puts forward recommendations on how the asymmetrical emphasis on return, readmission and reintegration can be rebalanced and what future EU-AU cooperation should focus on.

The article briefly summarises the four dialogue-led processes which have characterised cooperation on migration and asylum policy between the EU and the AU over the last five years, namely: the Rabat Process; the Khartoum Process; the Support to the Africa-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue (MMD); and the Joint Valletta Action Plan.

It argues that EU concerns about the increased number of people arriving from Libya and the Sahel region have elevated migration as a key issue within the EU-AU partnership, which in turn resulted in significant amounts of funding being invested in it.

A significant part of projects and initiatives supported by the EU are geared towards cooperation on increased returns and readmissions of irregular migrants to countries of origin and transit while also requiring those countries to enhance efforts on border security and management. The paper notes that this has contributed to securitising European development assistance, which has also contributed to the erosion of protection for migrants along migratory routes.

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Arkiveringsdatum 200208:

Oxfam 20-01-30:

The EU Trust Fund for Africa: Trapped between aid policy and migration politics

The 'EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa' (the EUTF for Africa) is the financial instrument at the forefront of the EU's attempts to integrate migration politics, foreign policy and partnerships for development.

Our review of all the project proposals funded by the EUTF for Africa and the circumstances surrounding their adoption expose a new and worrying trajectory for development aid that is more closely linked with donors' migration policies, particularly stopping irregular migration. This poses a risk to development actors' ability to contribute to poverty and inequality reduction.

Hämta rapporten (Extern länk)

ECRE 20-01-31: OXFAM Report: Migration control objectives threaten development cooperation

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Arkiveringsdatum 200125:

EU-kommissionen 20-01- 08:

Visa facilitation and readmission: the European Union and Belarus sign agreements

Today, the European Union and Belarus signed a visa facilitation agreement and a readmission agreement. The agreements represent an important step in EU-Belarus relations and pave the way for improved mobility of citizens, contributing to closer links between the EU and its Eastern Partnership neighbours. At today's signing ceremony, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Croatia as Council Presidency, Davor Bo?inovi?, signed for the EU, while Belarus was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei.

Commissioner Johansson said: "These agreements between the European Union and Belarus are a significant step forward in our cooperation. They will improve the mobility of our citizens in a well-managed and secure environment and help build closer links between the European Union and Belarus. From the European side, we will now move ahead rapidly with ratification procedures, so citizens can feel the benefits as soon as possible."

The visa facilitation agreement will make it easier for Belarusian citizens to acquire short-term visas to come to the European Union. Once the visa facilitation agreement enters into force, the visa fee will be reduced to ¤35. In addition, the service fee will be limited and the deadline for consulates to take a decision on a visa application will be shortened. Several categories of travellers, including journalists, students and members of official delegations, will be able to receive multiple-entry visas with increasingly longer validity, while having to submit less supporting documents to prove their purpose of travel. Belarus has unilaterally introduced measures to facilitate short-term visa-free travel for EU citizens arriving in Minsk.

The main objective of the EU-Belarus readmission agreement is to establish, on the basis of reciprocity, procedures for the safe and orderly return of persons who reside irregularly in the EU or Belarus, in full respect of their rights under international law.

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ECRE 20-01-09:

ECRE policy note: Migration control conditionality: A flawed model

ECRE has published a Policy Note which discusses proposal to make EU external funding, including development assistance, conditional on third country governments' willingness to increase cooperation on readmission.

The new leadership of the European Commission and the Council of the EU are currently discussing how to increase the number of people returned to third countries. Return and readmission is a priority for the new Commission and a continued disproportionate focus on deportations is likely, with an increased number of people returned from Europe seen as one - if not the most - important indicator of a successful migration policy.

To achieve this objective, the Commission and Member States are currently considering different policy options to increase pressure on third countries to cooperate on return and readmission. Early discussions have centred on how to use visa restrictions or facilitations for nationals of a third country to increase cooperation. In addition , the use of EU external funding, including development assistance, is being considered and the negotiations on the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) is viewed by EU Member States as an opportunity to anchor such an approach in the legislation that will underpin spending from 2021 onwards.

The Policy Note points out the various flaws in this approach, many of which also apply to using other policies, such as trade or security policy, to further the EU's return objectives. It ends with recommendations regarding future cooperation on return and readmission as well as the negotiations of EU development funding after 2021.

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Arkiveringsdatum 191129:

EU-kommissionen 19-11-19:

EU signs agreement with Serbia on European Border and Coast Guard cooperation

Today, the European Union signed an agreement with Serbia on border management cooperation between Serbia and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The agreement was signed on behalf of the EU by Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship and by Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior of Finland and President of the Council and, and on behalf of the Republic of Serbia by Neboj?a Stefanovi?, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship said:

"I would like to thank Serbia for its efforts and commitment to ensure closer cooperation with the EU on border and migration management. This is in the interest of both Serbia and the EU. With the agreement signed today, we are further strengthening our relations with Western Balkan partners, bringing this neighbourhood closer to the EU."

Maria Ohisalo, Minister of the Interior of Finland said:

"Cooperation with our partners in the Western Balkans is essential to ensure the successful management of our common borders. Through this agreement Frontex will be able to coordinate operational cooperation between EU member states and Serbia, and provide support and expertise which will bring benefits for all."

This agreement allows the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to assist Serbia in border management, carry out joint operations and deploy teams in the regions of Serbia that border the EU, subject to Serbia's agreement.

These activities aim at tackling irregular migration and cross-border crime, and can involve the provision of increased technical and operational assistance at the border.

Strengthened cooperation between priority third countries and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency will also contribute to further enhancing security at the EU's external borders.

Full press release (Extern länk)

Status agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia on actions carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in the Republic of Serbia (Extern länk)

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EU - Western Balkans Justice and Home Affairs ministerial forum - joint press statement (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 191017:

Heinrich Böll Stiftung 19-10-03:

Third Anniversary of EU-Turkey Statement: A Legal Analysis

by Neva Övünç Öztürk, Cavidan Soykan

During the EU-Turkey Summit held on 29 November 2015, parties agreed to support refugees fleeing civil war in Syria and their host country Turkey, and to implement a Joint Action Plan, adopted on 15 October 2015, which sought cooperation to prevent irregular migration flows to the European Union. The underlying reason compelling parties to tailor such a plan was, undoubtedly, "the long summer of migration" that took place in 2015 commonly referred to as the "migration crisis" by European countries. Indeed, in its report dated 10 February 2016 on the implementation of the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan, the European Commission noted that since the beginning of 2015, a total of 880,000 people arrived from Turkey to Greece, and that due to the "immense" scale of this movement, the Commission had been working with Turkish authorities to reduce the scale of these arrivals.

Given this background, a proposal was initially brought to the agenda with a view to advance the applicability of the provisions of the EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement, signed on 1 October 2014, regarding the readmission of third-country nationals from 1 October 2017 to 1 June 2016. However, whilst the legal process for advancing the date of effect of was still in the pipeline, on 18 March 2016, the parties announced that the EU and Turkey had reached an agreement to end irregular migration from Turkey to the EU.

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Arkiveringsdatum 190801:

Safer World 19-07-22:

Partners in crime? The impacts of Europe's outsourced migration controls

Migration into Europe has fallen since 2015, when more than one million people fleeing conflict and hardship attempted sea crossings. But deaths and disappearances in the central Mediterranean have shot up, exposing the 'fight against migration' as flawed and dangerous.

While leaders in Europe and elsewhere claim that clamping down on migration saves lives by deterring people from undertaking dangerous journeys, the reality is that European governments' outsourced migration policies are feeding into conflict and abuse - and reinforcing the drivers of migration.

Drawing on extensive research, this report analyses the European Union's and European governments' outsourcing of migration controls in 'partner' countries such as Turkey, Libya and Niger. It explores who benefits from this system, exposes its risks and explains who bears the costs. It also provides recommendations for European leaders on how to move toward a humane model for migration that refocuses on EU commitments to human rights, conflict prevention and sustainable development.

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Deportation Monitoring Aegean 19-07-26:

Suspension of EU-Turkey Deal and Mass Deportations from Turkey

Suspension of the EU-Turkey Deal

Turkey announced that the EU-Turkey Deal has been suspended. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu explained on Monday 22nd in a TV-interview: "We will not wait at the EU's door. The readmission agreement and visa-free deal will be put into effect at the same time".

The visa liberalisation for Turkish citizen in the EU was part of the initial EU-Turkey statement from March 18, 2016 where it was agreed: "The fulfilment of the visa liberalisation roadmap will be accelerated vis-à-vis all participating Member States with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens at the latest by the end of June 2016, provided that all benchmarks have been met."

It is not the first time that Turkey puts pressure on the EU and Greece using the readmission scheme for bargaining. In June 2018, Mevlüt Çavusoglu declared to have suspended the bilateral migrant readmission agreement with Greece - another deportation agreement - in response to a Greek court's decision to release eight soldiers, who had fled Turkey in July 2016 after the coup attempt, instead of extraditing them to Turkey.

Since the EU-Turkey Deal came into force, 2,492 people have been deported from Greece to Turkey (2,406 people until end of 2018 and 86 people in 2019). Deportation Monitoring Aegean witnessed the last deportation on July 11th - an indication that the deportations have now been suspended in practice.

Arrests and Mass Deportations in Turkey

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Turkish Minute 19-07-22: Readmission agreement with EU suspended, Turkish FM says (Extern länk)

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Arkiveringsdatum 190620:

Enough Project 19-04-06:

Border control from hell: EU's migration partnership legitimizes Sudan's "militia state"

Large-scale migration to Europe has precipitated a paradigm shift in relations between the European Union (EU) and the government of Sudan, and closer ties between both entities. This new partnership has resulted in the EU disbursing millions of euros to the Sudanese government for technical equipment and training efforts geared toward stopping the flow to Europe of migrants from Sudan and those from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa who come through Sudan.

The EU's action plan will involve building the capacities of Sudan's security and law enforcement agencies, including a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been branded as Sudan's primary "border force." The EU will assist the RSF and other relevant agencies with the construction of two camps with detention facilities for migrants. The EU will also equip these Sudanese border forces with cameras, scanners, and electronic servers for registering refugees.

There are legitimate concerns with these plans. Much of the EU-funded training and equipment is dual-use. The equipment that enables identification and registration of migrants will also reinforce the surveillance capabilities of a Sudanese government that has violently suppressed Sudanese citizens for the past 28 years.

Sudan's strategy for stopping migrant flows on behalf of Europe involves a ruthless crackdown by the RSF on migrants within Sudan. Dogged by persistent armed uprisings led by opponents protesting chronic inequalities in the distribution of national wealth and political power in its periphery regions, the Sudanese government has always relied on a plethora of militia groups to counter insurgencies. The RSF is one of these militia groups. It evolved from the disparate Janjaweed militias that carried out the genocidal counterinsurgency policy of the Sudanese regime in Darfur that began in 2003. However, in its functions and evolution, the RSF differs significantly from other militia groups employed by the government.

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Frontex 19-06-13:

Frontex opens risk analysis cell in Senegal

On 12 June, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, opened a Risk Analysis Cell in Dakar in cooperation with Senegalese authorities within the framework of the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community (AFIC).

Taking part in the opening in Senegal were representatives of Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, as well as other international partners.

The role of the cells, which are run by local analysts trained by Frontex, is to collect and analyse strategic data on cross-border crime in various African countries and support relevant authorities involved in border management.

This includes information on illegal border crossings, document fraud, trafficking in human beings and other types of cross-border crime. It is shared with authorities at national and regional level to produce analysis and policy recommendations, as well as with Frontex. The project is financed by the European Commission (DG DEVCO).

Cooperation between Frontex and 26 members of AFIC is a key element in battling cross-border crime and security threats affecting African countries and the EU. AFIC was launched in 2010 to provide a framework for regular information sharing about migrant smuggling and border security threats. It foresees close cooperation with a number of countries along the main smuggling routes. This is done through a series of training activities to develop national and regional strategies to fight cross-border crime. It also includes setting up integrated border management systems, as well as improving the collection, sharing and analysis of relevant data.

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Arkiveringsdatum 190610:

EU-kommissionen 19-05-21:

Europeisk gräns- och kustbevakning: Första gemensamma insatsen utanför EU inleds

I dag inleder Europeiska gräns- och kustbevakningsbyrån i samarbete med de albanska myndigheterna den första gemensamma insatsen någonsin i ett grannland som inte är med i EU. Från och med den 22 maj kommer enheter från byrån att sättas in tillsammans med albanska gränsvakter vid gränsen mellan Grekland och Albanien för att stärka gränsförvaltningen och förbättra säkerheten vid EU:s yttre gränser, i full överenskommelse med alla berörda länder. Denna insats markerar en ny fas för gränssamarbetet mellan EU och partnerländerna på västra Balkan och är ännu ett steg på vägen mot en fullt verksam byrå.

Vid lanseringen i Tirana i Albanien deltar Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU-kommissionär med ansvar för migration, inrikes frågor och medborgarskap, Fabrice Leggeri, verkställande direktör för Europeiska gräns- och kustbevakningsbyrån samt Albaniens premiärminister Edi Rama och Albaniens inrikesminister Sandër Lleshaj.

- Med den första utstationeringen av europeiska gräns- och kustbevakningsenheter utanför EU någonsin inleder vi ett helt nytt kapitel i vårt samarbete kring migration och gränsförvaltning med Albanien och hela västra Balkanregionen, säger Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU-kommissionär med ansvar för migration, inrikes frågor och medborgarskap. Detta är ett verkligt banbrytande och verkligt historiskt steg som för denna region närmare EU genom ett samordnat och ömsesidigt stödjande samarbete kring gemensamma utmaningar, såsom en bättre hantering av migration och skydd av våra gemensamma gränser.

- I dag innebär en milstolpe för vår byrå och det bredare samarbetet mellan EU och Albanien, säger Fabrice Leggeri, verkställande direktör för Europeiska gräns- och kustbevakningsbyrån. Vi inleder den första fullskaliga gemensamma insatsen utanför EU för att stödja Albaniens gränskontrollarbete och bekämpning av gränsöverskridande brottslighet.

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Frontex 19-05-29:

Frontex and Ukrainian border guard extend cooperation agreement

Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has extended its cooperation plan with State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for another three years.

The new cooperation plan for 2019-2021 was signed by Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri and General Petro Tsygykal, Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.The two met in Arlamow, Poland, during the annual European Border and Coast Guard Day organised by Frontex.

"We are celebrating the work of European border and coast guard officers only a few kilometres from the border with Ukraine because it is an important partner for Frontex. Working together with our neighbours is crucial to tackle cross-border challenges," said Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri.

Frontex and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have been working together for many years as part of a working arrangement signed in 2007. Over the years, this cooperation has grown from operational activities, through situational awareness, monitoring and risk analysis also including such areas as training.

Ukrainian border guards have been taking part in Frontex's field deployments as observers, they have also participated in a range of training activities and workshops.

Earlier this year, the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service joined the network of Frontex Partnership Academies as one of only three such associated training institutions in non-EU countries. The main objective of the Partnership Academies is to facilitate cooperation with border and coast guard training institutions in the European Union, to create common educational standards and to modernise education and training systems in the field of border and coast guarding.

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EU-kommissionen / Statewatch 19-06-05:

Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) update report - May 2019

The Commission Services together with the EEAS (European External Action Service) have produced the latest: GAMM update (9679/19, LIMITE, 24 May 2019, 44 pages)

"This document provides an updated overview of the main external migration dialogues and processes implemented in the framework of the EU Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM). The document is compiled for the information of the EU High Level Working Group on Asylum and Migration by the responsible European Commission services, in association with the EEAS."

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Källor: Informationen på denna sida är hämtad från följande källor (externa länkar): EU (kommissionen, ministerrådet, parlamentet och domstolen), Europarådet (mr-kommissionären, domstolen, kommittén mot tortyr), FN:s flyktingkommissariat UNHCR, FN:s kommitté mot tortyr m.fl. FN-organ, Sveriges Radio, SvT, andra svenska media via Nyhetsfilter och pressmeddelanden via Newsdesk, utländska media till exempel via Are You Syrious och Rights in Exile, internationella organisationer som Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ECRE, Statewatch och Picum, organisationer i Sverige som Rädda Barnen, Asylrättscentrum, Svenska Amnesty, FARR och #vistårinteut samt myndigheter och politiska organ som Migrationsverket, Sveriges domstolar, JO, Justitiedepartementet m.fl. departement och Sveriges Riksdag.

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