EPP President: I welcome the Commission's plan to restore Schengen, secure external borders needed to safeguard freedom of movement within EU

04. March 2016

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Freedom of movement is a core European principle and one of the most tangible benefits of the European Union for the European citizens. The current migration crisis puts a severe strain on the Schengen area. The high costs of non-Schengen for the European citizens and for European businesses would be disastrous. Joseph Daul, the President of the European People’s Party, thus welcomed the European Commission roadmap to restore Schengen: “Free movement within the Schengen area is endangered. There cannot be a Schengen area without secure EU external borders. To protect this pillar of the European project, we need an operational EU border and coast guard system as well as a strict application of the Schengen Borders Code and the Dublin regulations. It is up to the Member States, in particular Greece, to respect these laws.” A clear distinction must be made between economic migrants and refugees entitled to international protection. The EPP President stated: “We support the approach of the European Commission to refuse the entry at external borders of third country nationals who do not qualify for international protection. This is a necessary step to discourage economic migrants from travelling to Europe while facilitating the protection of the people fleeing conflicts. The return of irregular migrants to countries of origins and transit, including Turkey, should be accelerated.” In a long-term perspective, the EPP also advocates for a complete reform of the European Asylum system in which asylum requests would be processed at the EU's external borders or preferably outside the EU. This new asylum system would provide a swift protection to the people in need, prevent the abuses of smugglers and ensure the safety of the European citizens.


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For more information contact:

 

Alexandra Henman

Deputy Spokesperson

+32 471 90 76 84

alh@epp.eu

 

Angelos Athanasopoulos

National and Regional Press Director

+32 471 90 76 35

aa@epp.eu

 

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