The Valletta Summit on migration, 11-12.11.15, brought together 60 European and African Heads of State and Government in an effort to strengthen cooperation and address the current challenges as well as the opportunities of migration.

In his remarks to the press, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, announced that the leaders “adopted a political declaration and an action plan designed to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; enhance cooperation on legal migration; reinforce the protection of migrants and asylum seekers; fight irregular migration, and to work more closely to improve cooperation on return, readmission and reintegration”.

 
To help implement what was agreed, an EU Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration in Africa was launched at the summit by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The Emergency Trust Fund is made up of €1.8 billion and so far, 25 EU Member States and 2 non-EU donors (Norway and Switzerland) have announced a total contribution of around €81.3 million.
 
Right after the summit, an informal meeting of EU leaders took place, during which Tusk warned that “the future of Schengen is at stake and time is running out” and that is necessary “to regain the control of our external border”. Tusk announced that “together with President Juncker, I will meet President Erdogan and Prime Minister Davutoglu next Monday in the margins of the G20 Summit” so that a special summit of the 28 Member States with Turkey takes place as soon as possible. 
 
The Alternate Minister of Migration Policy Yannis Mouzalas commented that the summit confirmed the Greek government’s position that the refugee/migrant problem cannot be addressed without cooperation from Turkey and that talks during the Greek Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Turkey will be within this framework. 
 

TAGS: FOREIGN AFFAIRS | MIGRATION