FILE - Migrants aboard a rubber boat end up in the water while others cling on to a centifloat before being rescued by a team of the Sea Watch-3, around 35 miles away from Libya, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. A majority of European Union countries are calling for more agreements with countries that people leave or transit to get to Europe, saying that to tackle irregular migration and manage migration movements to the 27-member bloc.
It was signed by the immigration ministers of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Denmark — which took the lead in the group — plus Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania and Finland.
The countries call on the Commission “to identify, elaborate and propose new ways and solutions to prevent irregular migration to Europe” and “comprehensive, mutually beneficial and durable partnerships” with nations located along the migratory routes, saying “different ideas for optimizing such partnerships should be explored.”
The letter said it was important for member states to have the ability to transfer asylum seekers to “a safe third country alternative” if such an alternative exists, while also saying any new measures would be in full compliance with “international legal obligations.”