Yerevan, Armenia. President Nikos Christodoulides was among 33 heads of government who signed a joint statement on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit, affirming their will to work together to tackle irregular migration.
Signatories and prior discussions
The statement was signed by the leaders of Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Cyprus.
It said the leaders had identified several critical lines of effort toward a “whole of route” approach to tackling illegal migration during the previous European Political Community summit in Copenhagen.
Areas of action and shared support
The statement said leaders underlined the need to take action against smugglers, ensure domestic and international frameworks are robust, accelerate returns, forge new partnerships, manage upstream migration effectively, and tackle the instrumentalisation of migration, among other issues.
It added that they agreed on the need to support one another in these efforts.
Displacement and crisis preparedness
The statement said there has been significant displacement this year across Sudan, the Horn of Africa and the wider Middle East, and that these priorities remain vital.
It also said lessons must be learned from the 2015 migration crisis, that similar situations should be avoided in the future, and that leaders agreed on how best to prepare and coordinate efforts to that end.
Points of agreement: monitoring, assistance, and coordination
Among eight points of agreement, the statement cited surveillance and monitoring, with signatories agreeing to ensure up-to-date information and monitoring is shared to support preparedness and a coordinated response.
A second point focused on humanitarian assistance, with signatories planning to identify opportunities for targeted interventions to help those in need and deter flows from source.
They also said they plan to work with international organisations, including the United Nations high commissioner for refugees and the Council of Europe, while maintaining a core focus on security, protection, and the effective integrity of both land and maritime borders.
What measures do you think should be prioritised to improve coordination on irregular migration?
