European progressives welcomed today the Roadmap on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, backed earlier this month by the European Parliament and the EU Council Presidencies. The document is a joint commitment by EU co-legislators to reach an agreement on European Commission proposals on migration and asylum.
The roadmap shows positive momentum for the new Pact on Migration and Asylum spearheaded by European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johanson, members of the Migration and Integration Network of the Party of European Socialists (PES) agreed today.
The Network meeting, attended by Commissioner Ylva Johansson, MEPs, representatives from PES member parties and organisations, and NGOs took convened by videoconference.
MP Carina Ohlsson, SAP Sweden, chair of the PES Migration and Integration Network, said prior to the meeting:
“Thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Johansson and our strong progressive team in the European Parliament, we are getting closers to a common European Migration and Asylum system. We have reached a decisive first step with the solidarity declaration but we still have a long way ahead of us. Socialists and democrats are determined to make sure we get all files of the Pact get adopted in this mandate. With the ongoing brutal invasion in Ukraine, and the rising numbers of people arriving in the European Union, there is no time to lose.”
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson stated:
“Progress on the Pact is continuing, relocation within the voluntary solidarity declaration is working and with the Roadmap we have a strong commitment from the EU Council and the European Parliament to adopt the legislative files of the Pact before the end of this mandate. We must now work hard to make this positive developments continue.”
The PES is working to ensure that people fleeing war and persecution receive the right protection. There must be effective legal avenues, both for humanitarian reasons and for labour migration. Building on the strong EU response to the refugee influx following the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it is time to work to strengthen solidarity and cooperation between Member States on asylum and migration policy.
The meeting also had an exchange with MEP Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar (PSOE Spain), chair the LIBE committee in the European Parliament, MEP Sylvie Guillaume (PS France), and MEP Javier Moreno Sanchez (PSOE) on progressive activity with Parliament to progress on the Pact.
The meeting was attended by:
- Constantin Kourkoulas, Chair of the Meeting, Coordinator of EU policy Unit, PES
- Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs European Commission
- Astrid Bergmål, State secretary in charge of migration and Public Security, DNA, Norway Ministry of Justice
- Sylvie Guillaume, Member of European Parliament (France) S&D Group in the EP
- Isabel Santos, Member of European Parliament (Portugal) S&D Group in the EP
- J. Fernando Lopez Aguilar, Member of European Parliament (Spain) S&D Group in the EP, Chair of the LIBE Committee
- Javier Moreno Sachez, Member of European Parliament (Spain) S&D Group in the EP
- Charlotte Coenen, Adviser Migration – Asylum – Integration Vooruit, Belgium
- Irene Poyiatzi, Member of the International and European Affairs Bureau, EDEK, Cyprus
- Anti Kotti, Senior advisor for the parliamentary group, SPD, Finland
- François Comet, Deputy National Secretary for Europe PS, France
- Panagiotis Exarchos, Member of Parliament, KINAL, Greece
- Anne van der Meer, Lead delegate on EU migration & integration PvdA, Netherlands
- Romualda Fernandes, Member of Parliament, PS, Portugal
- Arthur Cady, Project Officer, FEPS
- Hedwig Giusto, Senior Policy Advisor, FEPS
- Tajma Sisic, European Coordinator, IUSY
- Louise Bonneau, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, Missing Children EU
- Mija Javornik, Vice-president PES Women
- Marie Johansson, PES Coordinator in the CIVEX Commission, PES Group in the CoR
- Antje Grotheer, Member of the Committee’s Working Group on Ukraine, PES Group in the CoR
- Olga Fotinou, Political Adviser, PES Group in the CoR
- François Balate, Member of Cabinet of the President PES Group in the CoR
- Sofia Rönnow Pessah, Senior Advocacy Advisor, Save the Children
- Julie Martinaud, Social Inclusion Officer, SOLIDAR
- Íñigo Echeverría-Torres, Advisor for migration, asylum & fundamental rights, S&D Group in the EP
- Shane Murphy, Political adviser, S&D Group in the EP
- Laura Pearson, Adviser on External Migration, S&D Group in the EP
- Ruth Berkowitz, Assistant to MEP Dietmar Köster (SPD), S&D Group in the EP
- Lisa Collste, Political Adviser to MEP Evin Incir (SAP), S&D Group in the EP
- Sonja Grabowsky, Assistant to MEP Dietmar Köster (SPD), S&D Group in the EP
- Misachi Jose Ogawa, Assistant to MEP Birgit Sippel (SPD), S&D Group in the EP
- Roos Lankhorst, Assistant to MEP Thijs Reuten (Pvda), S&D Group in the EP
- Candice Palmer, Assistant to MEP Maria Arena (PS), S&D Group in the EP
- Olenka Delanghe, PES Policy adviser on asylum and migration, PES
- Sylvie Rurakamvye, Assistant, PES
