BALKAN ROUTE - Immediate support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Second reply to the letter sent to the Mrs Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) - 1/7/2022

Link Petition

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/balkan-route-immediate-support-for-migrants-refugees-and-asylum-seekers.html

 

Dear Ms Ribecco,

Please find attached the reply to your letter addressed to President Ursula von der Leyen on 22 March 2022.

Kind regards,

HOME INTERNATIONAL Team

 

TEXT LETTER

Dear Ms. Ribecco,

Thank you for your letter of 22 March 2022 to President Ursula von der Leyen in which you raise your concerns for the situation of migrants at the EU borders, in particular in the Western Balkans and Belorussia.

The EU has provided considerable financial and technical support to our Western Balkans partners, in particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in overall migration management, including humanitarian assistance, asylum and effective border management and is closely observing the migration situation in the region and along the Western Balkans route.

As regards the situation at the Croatian border, in line with the Schengen rules, all actions taken by border guards in relation to the management of the external borders must fully comply with the obligations related to access to international protection, in particular the principle of non-refoulement, and fundamental rights.

Let me assure you that the Commission’s position on fundamental rights is unequivocal: any measures Member States put in place to prevent and discourage unauthorised crossing of our external borders must be proportionate to the objective pursued and in full respect of fundamental rights and the dignity of all people. Any actions exposing people to inhuman and degrading treatment are illegal. As such, wrongdoing by individual officials should be referred to the appropriate authorities for investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution.

Regarding the situation at the Polish border, it has stabilised but remains challenging. The European Union firmly rejects attempts to instrumentalise people for political purposes and is working closely with Polish authorities to support them in this complex task. We are in close contact with the Polish authorities, on political and technical levels.

Discussions about the situation at the border and areas of potential EU support continue.

Let me also inform you that, as one element of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission proposed, in its screening proposal, an obligation on Member States to establish an independent monitoring mechanism to strengthen the respect for fundamental rights in the context of screening at the external borders. Article 7(2) of this proposal is tasking the Fundamental Rights Agency to issue general guidance for Member States on the setting up of such mechanism and its independent functioning which it may also serve as a point of reference in case certain Member States wish to establish independent monitoring mechanisms already now at national level, even before and independently of the adoption of the Screening Regulation.

All measures proposed under the Pact on Migration and Asylum will respect fundamental rights and include the necessary guarantees for vulnerable applicants, including children, and are aimed to quickly identify the adequate procedure for those in need of protection from those who have no right to stay.

Hope this clarifies several points of your requests.

Best regards,

Davinia WOOD

Head of Unit