(ANSA) - ROME, 09 AGO - Missions by French and German
officials to Italian centers, further German checks have been
announced in the coming days in the "first concrete step"
towards a European migrant relocation system, the Italian
interior ministry has announced. The "first concrete step" has
been taken for the implementation of the political declaration
approved on June 10 in Luxembourg by the Home Affairs Council,
which provides for the annual relocation of about 10,000
migrants, mainly selected among people rescued at sea who have
disembarked in member States of first entry of the European
Union. French officials visited the CARA reception center in
Bari, from July 28 until August 2, to verify the composition of
a first group of migrants who will be relocated to France, the
Italian interior ministry said on Friday, August 5. Meanwhile,
German authorities said they are ready for a similar mission in
August, the ministry added. Among the 18 member States (Belgium,
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands,
Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania and Spain) and the three
associates of the European Union (Norway, Switzerland and
Liechtenstein) who shared the political statement on June 10,
France and Germany have already followed up on their commitment
with the formalization of a first package of relocations that
affects migrants who have landed in Italy. A "platform" has thus
been activated, set up by the European Commission, through which
member States and EU associates confirm their commitment for the
relocation of migrants. EU has taken right path, says Interior
Minister Lamorgese Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese
hailed the progress in the implementation of a relocation
system. "I am convinced that the European Union has taken the
right path to deal with migratory and humanitarian challenges,
as shown over the past few months also by the shared and
supportive response given to the emergency caused by the armed
conflict in Ukraine, which led to the movement of millions of
refugees in Europe". The minister went on to say that the
"political declaration approved last June 10 by the European
Home Affairs Council represents an historic point for the Union
because, for the first time, the principle of solidarity in the
management of migration flows at the external borders of the EU
was shared by a vast majority of member States". "This result
could be reached thanks to the commitment of the French
presidency and of the Commission that welcomed in full the
proposals advanced by Italy and within the Med5 group - also
including Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Spain - thus leading to a
key step forward in the difficult task of unlocking negotiations
on the European Pact on Migration and Asylum", she added. The
political declaration of June 10, concluded Lamorgese, "marks
the beginning of a path aimed at establishing the right balance
between responsibility and solidarity in the shared management
of migration flows". (ANSA).
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