The European Union has submitted a new plan for the fight against illegal migration, which includes the prevention of illegal intersections in the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic region, support the return of logical migration to countries, as well as preventing the services of airlines for the transportation of migrants.
EU Commissioner for internal affairs, Ilva Johansson, reported at a press conference that the plan is based on four pillars: the fight against people trading, border management, repatriation to the country of origin and the search for legal methods of access to the European labor market.
The plan includes partnership with countries such as Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia and is aimed at strengthening migration management countries, preventing illegal trips and saving lives on this route.
The plan also includes the obligation to support the countries of North Africa and Sahel in matters of return, reactham and reintegration.
The EU also intends to encourage legal migration through labor migration. The plan includes support for search and rescue operations.
According to Johansson shared, in 2019, less than 3,000 migrants arrived on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands. In 2020, this figure increased by 800 percent – to 24 thousand people. In 2021, growth continued. In 2022, as a result of a partnership installed with Spain and Morocco, this number decreased by 50 percent.
The European Commission also announced measures regarding the use of commercial vehicles to facilitate illegal migration in the EU.
It is noted that criminal networks use commercial flights between third countries, visa -free policies or labor migration, to deliver migrants to countries located near or on the border with the EU.