Italy and the other so-called Med5
countries - Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Spain -believe that some
of the proposals on migration put forward by the Swedish EU
presidency go in the right direction but require further work in
order to provide solutions that are effective and sustainable,
diplomatic sources said after a meeting of EU ambassadors on the
proposed new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in Brussels on
Wednesday.
The five southern Mediterranean coastal states reportedly said
that much still needs to be done to achieve a better balance
between the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of
responsibility on migrants and refugees seeking safety and a
better life in the European Union.
Wednesday's discussion reportedly focused on the proposal by
Sweden to allocate national reception quotas for each member
state and provide for a payment of 2,000 euros per migrant for
countries that refuse to accept them under the solidarity
mechanism.
"There are points that still need to be discussed, but there is
a clear desire on the part of the member states to reach a
compromise and to continue the discussion," said European
sources after the meeting.
Presented by the European Commission in September 2020, the
draft New Pact on Asylum and Migration has made slow progress
amid state-centred policies and opposition to greater solidarity
from the so-called Visegrad countries - Poland, Hungary,
Slovakia, Czech Republic - although a recent sharp uptick in sea
arrivals especially to Italy have put the issue back at the top
of the EU agenda.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
