The EU must help member states at the external borders to manage migration flows and ensure that those seeking protection are welcomed in line with its core values, European Parliament President David Sassoli said on Thursday.
At the opening of the High-level Inter-parliamentary Conference on Migration and Asylum in Europe, organised by the European Parliament, Sassoli stressed that “behind migration figures there are people, each one with their own story,” who “need to be at the heart of any efficient European policy” on migration and asylum.
Sassoli emphasised that Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Maltese borders are, in fact, European borders: i.e. a shared responsibility for the whole Union.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the new Pact on Asylum and Migration aims to balance the need to welcome refugees, fight smugglers, and ensure integration and appropriate treatment for everyone, including those who cannot remain in Europe.
