Unveiled: Europe’s plan to tackle migrant crisis

The arrival of an estimated 10,000 migrants across the Mediterranean into Italy over the past week has led the European Commission to accelerate plans to implement its strategy in the region.

Amid scenes of desperation, the 28 nations from the world’s wealthiest trade bloc have been accused of looking on, and there appears to be no appetite to launch an emergency operation, as Italy did in 2013 when migrants started drowning in big numbers.

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But the latest developments have forced the commission to bring forward its latest strategic programme, the European Agenda on Migration.

The European Union’s commissioner for migration, Dmitris Avramopoulos, on Friday said that while the EU is developing the policies, the member states and their resources must implement them. Proposals for the plan have already been published on the commission’s website.

Here is what we know so far:

Border control

The commission is discussing whether and to what extent EU’s Border Agency Frontex needs a budget increase, including more operational assets and human resources, to better address the evolving challenge at the EU’s external borders.

The commission website reads: “Border management is a shared competence between the EU and the member states, and the enforcement of the surveillance of EU’s external borders is of vital interest to all.

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“We need to pool more resources amongst member states if we truly want to reinforce the work of Frontex and put European Border Guard Teams into action.”

Common asylum system

The commission is also planning to implement the recently adopted Common European Asylum system. It aims to further align the EU states’ asylum legislation, leading to a more effective, practical cooperation and increased solidarity among EU states, and between EU and non-EU countries.

Illegal migration

In an attempt to tackle illegal migration, the commission will launch a review of the EU blue card directive. The blue card is an approved EU-wide work permit allowing high-skilled non-EU citizens to work and live in any country within the European Union, excluding Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The EU also wants to set up immigration screening centers in Libya’s neighbors; Nigeria, Tunisia and Egypt.

Human trafficking

The commission is working towards a comprehensive set of actions against human smuggling, and wants to further develop concrete tools targeting priority countries and routes, in close collaboration with third countries, though readmission agreements and cooperation frameworks.