Malmström: ‘On refugees, solidarity between EU states still largely non-existent’

The outgoing European commissioner responsible for freedom, security and justice, Cecilia Malmström, has declared that solidarity between EU member states “is still largely non-existent.”

After years managing Europe’s difficult migration challenge, her bold claim comes just weeks before she is to take on a new portfolio in the EC and a year since the tragic Lampedusa shipwreck that cost over 400 lives.

“Let me be very clear – when it comes to accepting refugees, solidarity between EU member states is still largely non-existent. This is quite possibly our biggest challenge for the future. While some EU members are taking responsibility, providing refuge for thousands of refugees, several EU countries are accepting almost no-one,” Malmström said.

The outgoing commissioner said that in some countries, the number of yearly refugees barely exceeds a few handfuls.

“Last year, six whole countries of the EU accepted less than 250 refugees between them. All this, while the world around us is in flames. These EU countries could quite easily face up to reality by accepting resettled refugees through the UN system, but despite our persistent demands they are largely refusing. This is nothing short of a disgrace,” the Swedish commissioner said.

Since the October 2013 tragedy, the Italian government launched Operation Mare Nostrum to claim responsibility for migrants at sea leaving the North African coast , for Europe.

“Today it is virtually impossible to come to Europe in a legal and safe way. Migrants are forced to put their lives in the hands of traffickers and smugglers who are making huge profits by exploiting their misery and despair,” Malmström said.

“If all the promises after the Lampedusa tragedy are to mean anything, solidarity between EU countries must become reality. For this to happen, we must in the coming years develop a responsibility-sharing mechanism between all EU states. This is of course nothing that can be forced upon Member States. However, I believe it is an absolute necessity if the EU is to live up to its ideals.”

The EU has agreed on a Common Asylum System, setting up laws that ensure that asylum seekers who make it to Europe’s shores are treated fairly and humanely, in every member state.

At the end of Septmber, the EU’s border agency Frontex concluded talks with the Italian authorities for a new operation in the Central Mediterranean area, codenamed Triton.

The operation will cover the maritime area south of Sicily and the Pelagic islands as well as the coastal areas around Calabria, southern Italy.

Frontex has sent a request to all member states of the European Union to contribute the necessary equipment — including aircraft and a variety of patrol vessels — to support the Italian authorities in border-control activities in the Mediterranean.

Frontex will also contact the European Commission with a request for funding of the operation.