The EU is discussing several options to deal with the migration pressure, announced the presidents of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen after the end of the meeting of the European heads of state and government in Brussels, BTA reported.
Migrants in need of protection can get it in "safe" non-EU countries; migrants without the right to stay in the EU could be directed to camps abroad; it is possible in countries outside the EU, for example in North Africa, for UN services to help migrants return home with the help of European funds, preventing them from reaching Europe, Von der Leyen explained. According to her, the discussion on these possibilities continues and it is necessary to revise the definition of "safe" non-EU country.
We need a common approach to the return of foreigners without the right to stay in the EU. Only 20 percent of migrants who are given a decision to leave the EU are sent back, she noted. Von der Leyen added that the EC will soon present a new bill on this matter. According to her, the migrant route through the Western Balkans has seen a decrease in the number of arrivals by 77 percent.
Regarding Ukraine, she said the EU wants to support a just and lasting peace, with the preservation of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nobody underestimates the difficulty of the moment with the upcoming elections in the USA, added Charles Michel. Whoever is the next president of the United States, I expect that the American public will not accept a show of weakness in the face of an authoritarian regime like the one in Russia. Therefore, I am convinced that whatever the outcome of the elections, we will be able to protect our common principles and the UN Charter, Michel added.