The Western African migration route is experiencing unprecedented growth, making the Canary Islands the new gateway for illegal immigration into Europe, among other migration routes which continue to cause high pressure on many EU Member States. Strengthening interinstitutional coordination is essential to ensure effective monitoring of individuals arriving irregularly. We propose greater integration between asylum services, judicial authorities, and security forces to streamline procedures and ensure the enforcement of returns. We advocate for transparency in the management of migration and asylum. Just as some European governments have done, we call on all governments, including the Spanish government, to make public their National Implementation Plans for the Pact on Migration and Asylum, as these outline the necessary legislative and operational reforms for its execution. Furthermore, we regret that, in drafting its plan, the Spanish government failed to consult with regional governments, which are responsible for the reception of unaccompanied minors. We call for coordination between the Commission and Member States to declare states of emergency at Europe’s external borders when Member States face severe migratory pressure, including case of instrumentalisation of migrants, and to enable the activation of European solidarity mechanisms. We call for the full utilisation of European funds - such as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Instrument for Border Management and Visas, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - , to improve migration management. Additionally, we demand transparency and accountability in the allocation of these resources. We invite all Member States to prepare national lists of safe countries, following the model established by 22 other Member States, in order to expedite the processing of unfounded asylum applications. Additionally, the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) should provide technical and operational support to reduce processing times. We demand a regular revision of the definition of safe third countries by abolishing the so-called connection criterion in order to facilitate asylum procedures in safe third countries as well as the refusal of entry into the EU from a safe third country. Illegal migrants from non-European countries should as a rule have their asylum claims be processed in a safe third country, outside the European Union. This will decrease the incentives for illegal migration. We propose accelerating the implementation of the Migration Pact: including the Screening Regulation, the migration and asylum management regulation, and the crisis regulation, all governed by the principle of solidarity and fair distribution of responsibility among Member States, including in the financial aspect. We welcome the most recent proposal by the European Commission for a Common European System for Returns and urge the Commission to develop further innovative policies to combat illegal immigration, including the possibility of creating reception centres for asylum seekers in third countries, such as the ones established, in line with international and EU legislation. A significant increase in technical and human resources is needed to strengthen border surveillance through the use of drones, satellite technologies, and a greater presence of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) at the EU’s external borders. Additionally, agreements must be negotiated and concluded with all the relevant countries of transition or origin, especially from the Atlantic coast, to allow the deployment of Frontex in these third countries, following the model already implemented in the Balkans. We invite the European Union to negotiate strategic agreements with countries of origin and transit to prevent illegal migration, following the model of the EU-Tunisia and EU-Egypt agreements. The EU should use diplomatic, trade, and development cooperation tools to encourage collaboration on readmission and return. We support the signing of strategic cooperation agreements with countries such as Senegal, Mali, and Nigeria, amongst others. Additionally, we call for a review of existing agreements to assess their effectiveness and make cooperation conditional on the implementation of concrete measures in migration management. We call for tripling the number of Frontex agents and equipping them with greater technical and operational capabilities, in line with the program presented by the President of the Commission. The EU must also strengthen police cooperation with third countries, including intelligence sharing and the deployment of Europol officers. The fight against human trafficking must be reinforced through effective implementation of the Europol Regulation and the Directive against migrant smuggling. We urge European co-legislators to reach an agreement on the reforms proposed by the Commission in December 2023 as soon as possible. Additionally, we acknowledge Morocco’s important strategic position as key European partner amongst others and call for the finalisation of the Anti-Smuggling Operational Partnership (ASOP) to dismantle human trafficking networks. We support the new European regulation to ensure the effective return of third-country nationals in an illegal situation. In particular, the return of individuals who pose a security threat must be expedited. In this regard, we endorse the Commission’s proposal to establish temporary centres outside the EU for those awaiting acceptance by their countries of origin in accordance with international law. We call on the Commission to accelerate the implementation of programs funded under the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) aimed at strengthening border control and migration management capacities with key partners like Morocco as well as other countries such as Mauritania, Senegal, and Gambia. Measures are needed to prevent the abuse of the Schengen Area by criminal networks and unauthorised secondary movements. We propose accelerating the interoperability between different databases to improve real-time security control. We urge the Commission and Member States to ensure that there are no further delays in the implementation of the EES and ETIAS, two key elements for the digitalisation and protection of our borders. External action must be results-oriented. We propose linking agreements on labour migration and development cooperation to the effectiveness of irregular migration prevention and the acceptance of returns, including sanctions for third countries that fail to meet their commitments. Similarly, we must review and strengthen our visa policy, ensuring that the neighbouring third countries of the EU align their policies with ours. We urge the co-legislators to finalise negotiations on the Visa Suspension Mechanism as soon as possible. We welcome the most recent initiatives by the Commission and urge to present further measures to address the phenomenon of the instrumentalisation of migrants by third countries and non-state actors, including any exceptional measures necessary to ensure the security of our borders and the inviolability of our territory. Such measures shall include the explicit right for Member States to temporarily suspend asylum procedures at their external borders.