Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The European Commission called for adoption of bloc-wide migration rules to address the Mediterranean migrant crisis.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the EC stated that the most effective way to manage migration is by introducing rules on the level of the EU.
The body called for “immediate disembarkation, at the nearest place of safety, of all persons rescued and who are on board the Ocean Viking” operated by SOS Méditerranée humanitarian NGO.
According to the Commission, “the situation onboard the vessel has reached a critical level and needs to be urgently addressed to avoid a humanitarian tragedy.”
The EC added that “the legal obligation to rescue and to ensure the safety of life at sea is clear and unequivocal, irrespective of the circumstances that lead people to be in a situation of distress.”
The body called on EU member states to adopt a common approach “with the sanctity of life being of utmost importance and primary consideration.”
“It is important to provide support to those member states regularly receiving arrivals by sea,” the Commission stressed and added, according to EU rules, bloc members are to take in migrants from their counterparts under high pressure.
EC’s shelved proposal
The EC pointed to “specificity of search and rescue practices, which have arisen in the Mediterranean over the past years,” stressing that the bloc should adopt a “sustainable framework in line with EU competences and international standards.”
The body reminded that it proposed a top-down solution two years ago, but noted that bloc members did not adopt it. According to the Commission, the proposal includes a solidarity mechanism and a single approach to border protection and migration management.
It called on EU member states and the EU Parliament to adopt the proposal as soon as possible, stressing the importance of mutual trust, sincere cooperation and solidarity.
The migration crisis shows the importance of urgent adoption of “a singular, cohesive migration and asylum policy,” the body stated and reiterated that its proposal provides solutions to the migration problems the bloc is facing.
The Commission concluded that the bloc should adopt an “integrated border management” approach.
