Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on the preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration

Thank you, Madame President, dear Roberta,

Honourable Members,

Last year, Frontex reported 330,000 irregular border crossings. This is a 64% increase compared to the year before. And the highest figure since 2016. In parallel, there were 924,000 asylum applications across the EU. There are without any doubt increasing pressures at our external borders. It is our duty to make sure that Europe continues to be a space for protection for those who need it. However, the asylum and reception systems across Member States are under considerable strain. And fact is that the majority of those who apply for asylum are not in need of protection. But return rates are at a low of 22%. And there is an increasing number of secondary movements.

Honourable Members,

Migration is a European challenge which must be met with a European response. This might sound like common sense. But it took us almost ten years to acknowledge this reality. At the European Council next week, I will propose to the Heads of State or Government two separate work strands: The legislative process. And operational actions we can take already now.

On the legislative process: The best response we can give is to advance on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Since the Commission presented its proposals, we have seen quite some good progress. We have agreed on the EU Blue Card to attract highly skilled talents. We have established the new EU Asylum Agency. In December, a political agreement was reached on three important legislative proposals. Trilogues started to upgrade our biometric database – Eurodac. And we hope for trilogues to start soon on screening. We must keep up the good pace. And here the role of this House is key. I am glad, that on your initiative, Roberta, Parliament and the Council agreed on a roadmap to conclude all the legislative work before March next year. And you can count on the full support of the Commission to achieve that.

The second work strand is immediate action. This is what the European Council will focus on. Over time we have developed a migration and border management toolbox, we have stronger agencies, and we are better at coordination. We have proven to be able to respond to sudden demands. Take the instrumentalisation of migrants by Belarus. Or the sudden rise of irregular migration in the Western Balkans. Or our response to Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine. A whole continent has mobilised for our Ukrainian friends. Volunteers rushed to the border. Families opened their homes. And at the institutional level, we immediately activated temporary protection for Ukrainians. We know that we can address increasing challenges if we take action together. And now we can do this again.

Here, I want to outline four points of action, where we can make a real difference on the ground. First, we have a shared interest in strong external borders. The most pressing issues right now are at the land border between Bulgaria and Türkiye. We can strengthen the border management capabilities. We can also provide infrastructure and equipment, like drones, radar and other means of surveillance. As we have done in the last years for example in Romania, Spain, Greece and Poland. And we can increase the presence of Frontex.

On the other hand, we must urgently address the situation in the Central Mediterranean. The migratory pressure has increased significantly, and all too often tragically at the expense of human life. We need to support our Member States as well as our North African partners in coordinating their search and rescue capacities. And we will continue supporting UNHCR and IOM on the ground to help build capacities for asylum, reception and return. At the same time, we will continue supporting Member States to address challenges along the Western and Eastern Mediterranean routes.

Honourable Members,

Behind all this, there are criminal networks that trade in human life. To intensify our fight against smugglers, we will launch new anti-smuggling partnerships with key third countries. These will bring together prosecutors and law enforcement authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust. Together we can stop the business of exploitation.

My second point is focusing on faster and dignified returns. Every year there are around 300,000 return decisions taken by Member States. But only around 70,000 people are actually returned. We have to get better. Some of the shortcomings we can act on now. For instance, a return decision in one Member State should be valid in all Member States. So, if a person with a return decision by Italy is found in France, that person can be directly returned to the country of origin. This will become possible with the Schengen Information System that enters into operation in March. And we want Member States to make use of this possibility.

Thirdly, we have to address secondary movements while ensuring effective solidarity. Solidarity and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. And therefore, these two issues can only be addressed together. We must work to reduce the incentives for secondary movements. It is good that the Dublin Roadmap is in place. Member States need to implement it now. And at the same time, the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism agreed last summer should not just be on paper. It needs to deliver. Until today, there are only 8,000 pledges for relocation. And just over 400 have actually been transferred. We can do better. European solidarity must and can be stronger than that. And we will need to see to this with a permanent solidarity mechanism in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Last but definitely not least, there is the external dimension. We need to engage more closely with key partners. Migration management must be built in as one important aspect of the EU's relations with partners. Overall, our relations need to reflect a strategic engagement in a spirit of cooperation. We should recognise the interests of our partners and cooperate with them by supporting education, creating new businesses opportunities and fostering job creation. That same spirit of cooperation should help us to reduce irregular departures and step up returns. It is a fair balance that we need to find. And talent partnerships, visa policy, trade and investments also play an important role here. It is important that opportunities for safe and legal pathways remain part of our overall comprehensive approach to migration management.

Honourable Members,

Migration is complex. It is a matter of understanding each other's challenges and of us working together towards common solutions.