Cyprus considers the creation of a mandatory solidarity mechanism as an important development for the country, Minister of Interior Konstantinos Ioannou said in a statement on Friday, after the agreement achieved in the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the EU in Luxembourg on Thursday evening on the Council's general approach on the texts of two regulations for the reform of immigration and asylum policy.
The same statement calls the compromise a "delicate balance" between solidarity and responsibility that attempts to allay concerns of both frontline member states, which bear the main burden of processing the majority of asylum applications, and central European member states regarding "secondary movements" (i.e. movements of asylum seekers within the EU).
The Cypriot position, according to the statement which was circulated by PIO, is that the creation of a mandatory solidarity mechanism is a very important element of the agreement since it provides for the implementation of solidarity measures towards Member States facing excessive migratory pressures, which until now was done on a voluntary basis.
The deal promotes binding provisions including on relocations of third-country nationals to other Member States on the basis of needs to be defined by the European Commission, or, alternatively, the provision of financial and logistical support.
The general approach adopted will be the negotiating position of the Council of the EU in upcoming consultations with the European Parliament. Cyprus was among the countries that voted in favour of the proposal, which was adopted by qualified majority. Hungary and Poland voted against the proposal, while Czechia, Malta, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania abstained.
The agreement was achieved after three years of negotiations, and is the first step in the revision of migration policy through the New Pact on Immigration and Asylum.
According to the aforementioned press release, the Interior Minister acknowledged during his intervention the difficulties in finding the right balance and expressed Cyprus' readiness to show flexibility. However, he underlined that significant concessions have been made throughout this effort and asked for a similar understanding of the concerns of the frontline member states.
In particular, the Minister asked for a review of the proposal which requires ensuring ahead of time the feasibility of returning persons that have entered the EU illegally, as well as their ties to the country of return. Ioannou pointed out that this provision jeopardises the possibility of applying a fast-track procedure.
He also stressed that as a general principle, Cyprus wants to ensure that requests for support submitted by a Member State facing excessive pressure are met swiftly on the basis of the needs identified by that Member State, including the redistributive measure as a form of practical solidarity.
Regarding the procedure for suspending border procedures due to increased migratory pressures, Ioannou said that the notification of such an intention by a Member State to the European Commission should not require complicated procedures that would paralyse the ability to react immediately. This position was supported by European partners, according to the statement.
Ioannou also referred to the increased difficulties that Cyprus has had to face over the last six years "due to the systematic pushing of migrants from Turkey through the Green Line" and recalled that Cyprus is awaiting the completion of the Eastern Mediterranean Action Plan in order to create conditions for lightening the load on the country's asylum system.
Source: Cyprus News Agency