[ad_1]
Passing through Lisbon to prepare for the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, revealed that he spoke with the Minister of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, about the death of a Ukrainian citizen in the custody of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) at the Lisbon airport and also about the conditions in the airport detention centers Portuguese.
In response to a question from the PUBLIC, Ylva Johansson He said he believed that “Portugal is handling the situation properly”, and the case is being processed in court. “I think there will also be some changes in leadership and regulation,” he added, without going into details.
A source from the European Commission clarifies, in a message sent to the PUBLIC, that the Commissioner referred to the “necessary change in the operating conditions” implemented in the meantime at the SEF Temporary Installation Center at Lisbon airport, “as well as the procedures ongoing legal proceedings and possible consequences for those involved in this tragic event ”.
Ylva johansson He also stressed that what happened with Ihor Homenyuk It was a “terrible violation of human rights”, later emphasizing that, although not everyone can remain in the European Union (EU), “they are still human beings” and should be treated “in awake with their dignity and rights ”.
“Human rights violations are going to take place. What shows who we are is the way we treat them, how we respond and the lessons we learn, ”Ylva Johansson stressed. “Sometimes it is necessary to arrest these people, but you also have to have an open discussion about how these arrests should respect fundamental rights,” added the European official.
A report by the Ombudsman’s Office indicated that in June Portugal was the only one among 17 European countries that detains migrants at airports for more than 48 hours, places that were identified for presenting “risk factors for the occurrence of torture and ill-treatment”.
The European Commissioner was in the Portuguese capital for a meeting with the Ministers of Internal Administration, Eduardo Cabrita, and of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, having been the first member of the European executive to travel to Portugal in the context of the preparation of the Portuguese presidency. after the visit of the President of the European Commission at the end of September.
“We have to make sure there will be no more.”Morias‘ in the European Union ”
One of the main issues that the Portuguese presidency will have to deal with is the Pact on Migration and Asylum that the European Commission presented in September. A package of measures that, explains Ylva Johansson, “leaves no one satisfied”, but which allows an important agreement to be reached on this matter between the different member states.
Ylva Johansson underlined her confidence in the Portuguese presidency and in Minister Eduardo Cabrita to finally reach an understanding within the union. “Portugal is very well positioned to have a leadership role because it has a very pragmatic approach to immigration, which I appreciate.”
This pact is one of the priorities of the Commission that took office a year ago under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen. The European Commissioner wants to “de-dramatize the debate on migration” and dismantle the arguments of the extreme right, who affirm that “immigration is an impossible threat to control.” “It is not true”, Johansson emphasizes, and stresses that “it is important to show European citizens that we can manage migration”.
Acknowledging that the European response to migration “has not been sufficient”, Johansson expressed concern about the conditions that many migrants go through to reach the European Union, but also about the conditions in which they remain in the European space. “We have to do more when it comes to tackling traffic and preventing people from embarking on these dangerous journeys in the first place. We must also make sure that we will not have more ‘Morias’ in the European Union ”.
The commissioner was referring to the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, where more than 12,000 asylum seekers lived in precarious conditions. The camp suffered a major fire in early September and authorities promised to close those facilities at Easter.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum presented by the Commission takes into account what the Commissioner considers to be the three major shortcomings of the EU in this area: the illegal attempts to enter the European area, the repatriation of those who cannot remain in the EU and solidarity. between member states in migration management.
Text changed at 8:02 pm with clarification sent by the Representation of the European Commission in Portugal.
