Cyprus Interior Minister, Nicos Nouris, said on Saturday, after the meeting of the MED5 Interior Ministers, in Venice, that as an EU member state which faces for the fifth consecutive year the largest migration burden, Cyprus needs the solidarity of its European partners.
According to a press release issued by the Interior Ministry, Nouris noted that during the last years the members of the MED5, which constitute the frontline member states that face a number of problems due to illegal immigration, are working together and are joining forces.
He added that a series of initiatives have been taken, as in the case of evolving the European Asylum Service with a view to reach a Common European Pact on Migration and Asylum, adding that they will continue to work towards this direction and to be constructive.
“All efforts are founded on the need for solidarity”, he noted, adding that this is indispensable if they want to have an effective and sound European policy that will effectively address all the problems which Europe faces today. Moreover, he said that solidarity cannot be voluntarily expressed.
Nouris expressed the support of the Cyprus government to the initiative of the EU French Presidency for a sound basis of negotiations for a step by step process in an effort to get over the obstacles and proceed with the Pact. He thanked the French Minister of the Interior, Gerard Darmanin, for his devotion and his initiative, as well as the forthcoming EU Czech Presidency, which has assured that it will continue to work towards the same direction.
“As a member state that faces for the fifth consecutive year the largest migration burden, Cyprus needs the solidarity of its European partners. No state can manage the situation by itself, and Europe’s decisive support is required,” he underlined.
He noted that this solidarity must be expressed tangibly with the immediate relocation of immigrants from Cyprus, in order not to see soon dramatic demographic changes on the island.
Nouris said that at the same time the EU needs to proceed with bilateral agreements on returns with a number of third countries.
“If all these simple but pivotal issues are not part of the new European Pact on Asylum and Migration, unfortunately no agreement will be able to solve the problem, particularly taking into consideration that estimations refer to 150,000 new immigrants arriving at the frontline states just for this year.”
Nouris said that Cyprus will continue to participate in the constructive discussion with the prospect of establishing a new, sound and just asylum and migration system, based on an equal burden sharing.
“This is the only way to effectively manage migration pressures,” he concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency