Immigration: more Lampedusa tragedies if we do not act

EUROSUR system – to be voted tomorrow - will help to prevent deadly immigration accidents but only a European immigration policy can be effective

“European citizens ask us what we do to strengthen security in Europe. Today we can answer them: Frontex and EUROSUR! But we must go further! We must act with firmness against illegal immigration networks that exploit human misery, as the Lampedusa tragedy sadly reminds us. We must also strengthen Frontex, increasing its budget and its team of European border guards,” said Veronique Mathieu Houillon MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.

"We urge the Commission and the Council to finally give substance to a common European policy on the protection of our external borders and on immigration. For this we need a common approach on asylum and a focus on Lampedusa and the Mediterranean, areas in a situation of permanent emergency. Furthermore we ask for values such as sharing responsibility at European level, European solidarity and common trust among Member States to be recognized, as well as for more resources and equipment,” said Salvatore Iacolino MEP, who had already called for the debate on immigration issues which took place today in September.

"With the approval tomorrow of the European System of Surveillance of Borders (EUROSUR), the European Parliament will establish new rules for dealing more effectively with irregular migration and cross-border crimes. This will contribute to preventing unacceptable tragedies such as the one in Lampedusa," said Marco Scurria MEP,  Rapporteur on EUROSUR for the EPP Group.

“The EUROSUR system will also increase internal security by preventing crimes such as human trafficking and drug trafficking. Furthermore, borders will be classified according to the level of impact from migratory flows. Starting from December 2013, the EU will activate a National Coordination Centre in each Member State where information will be shared among countries. In this proposal we have also tried to give the right weight to cooperation and collaboration with bordering countries such as those of North Africa, as a way to curb these structural and unfortunately often tragic mass exoduses," said Marco Scurria.