European Commission visa official: EU policies must be fully harmonised

DW: Will the European Commission consider suspending visa-free travel from Albania and Serbia from the Czech Presidency by the end of this year? I'm talking about suspension because of the irregular migration and the contribution of these two countries to increasing the number of irregular migrants entering the EU via the Western Balkans route, (BP).

Anita Hyper: We work closely with Serbia and other Western Balkan partners. As stressed by the Commission on the Council of Justice and Home Affairs last month, it is essential that BP partners harmonise their visa policies with that of the EU to secure a well-managed migration. Serbia is expected to fully comply with EU visa policy. Serbia has pledged to take quick measures and we will continue to follow closely. The Commission is monitoring and stressing the need for full harmonisation of the visa strategy from the Western Balkans in the context of the Visa Expension Mechanism Reports, Enlargement Reports and regular meetings of Justice and Home Affairs Subcommittees.

DW: How disturbing is the number of irregular immigrants entering the EU via the Western Balkans route?

Anita Hyper: The Commission is closely monitoring the situation along the BP road. An increased vigilance is needed in view of coming to EU member states along this road. As Commissioner Johannes noted in the Prague Process held last month on 24 October, we will work together with Western Balkan partners on 4 pillars: achieving harmonisation with EU visa policy, co-ordinated with transit countries and key countries of origin of migrants coming to the EU after transit crossing to the region; increasing the co-operation and support of FRONTEEX in the Western Balkans: the commission made two weeks earlier, on October 25th, proposals for revised mandates to negotiate the Status Agreements, allowing for establishing between Western Balkan border guards with Bosnia, Albania, Serbia and Serbia's growth for new co-operation; and the EU's new accession commission is also ready to step up, as well as well as well as well as a new EU hopefuls. And finally we will also strengthen our joint fight against smuggling migrants. The EU launched a Operational Partnership against Regional Contract with the Western Balkans at the Ministry of Interior Ministers in Tirana, a week earlier, November 3rd, to support law enforcement and judicial co-operation, information campaigns, border management, with EU financial support and support from EU agencies for cross-border and operational co-operation along the way of the BP.

DW: Can the growth of irregular immigrants who cross into the EU from Albania and Serbia influence the process of EU membership negotiations on both countries?

Anita Hyper: The Western Balkans must fully harmonise visa policy with the EU as part of enlargement policy. The Commission has followed this issue in its annual report on the enlargement package and the visa suspension mechanism. He reiterated recommendations for full conversion into the 2022 enlargement package, and will do so even in the fifth report on the visa suspension mechanism, expected to be released in mid-November.

DW: Does the EU or not consider the ban on visa-free travel to the Western Balkans as an efficient way to reduce irregular migration to member states and also the demands of irregular asylum migrants to EU countries?

Anita Hyper: Our approach is to engage with Western Balkan partners. Early last month in October, Vice President Margaritis Schinas visited four Western Balkan countries to address the growing number of arrivals along the Western Balkans route, where he stressed the need for all Western Balkan partners to approach their visa policies with him. of the EU. Commissioner Johansson has continued dialogue with member states and Western Balkan partners in the coming weeks.

DW: What additional measures can the European Commission take for reducing irregular migration to EU countries, in addition to a possible visa-free travel ban on the Western Balkans?

Anita Hyper: Criminal networks and smugglers are cynically benefiting from the despair of people in need. The EU is also committed to combating these criminal networks, and that is why we have decided on prevention and fighting smuggling in the centre of approach to migration within the new Pact for Migration and Asylum. This also envisions the EU's 2021-2025 Action Plan against smuggling migrants. The EU Action Plan against Migrant smuggling focuses on: co-operation within the EU and exchange of information; phenomena shown against smuggling; more targeted co-operation with countries of origin and transit. The work of internal affairs agencies in this context is crucial. The Action Plan applies through the joint work of EuroOPOL and its European Centre for Migrant Trafficing, FRONTEX, EUROJUS and the EU Law Implementation Training Agency (European Union Agency for Law Land Enforcing Training) CEPOL. Our priority remains to focus on practical, operational co-operation, in particular to combat smuggling networks. We are taking substantial steps in efforts to combat smuggling of migrants and are making progress towards achieving the targets set out in the New Pact for Migration and Asylum. In April 2022, the EU Commission proposed a stable legal migration policy, as part of the comprehensive approach defined in the New Pact for Migration and Asylum. The commission proposes increasing operational co-operation at the EU level between member states and partner countries. After the launch of talent Partnerships* in June 2021, the Commission is now proposing a series of steps to functionalise them with the aim of agreeing to the first Talent Partnerships by the end of 2022. Talent Partnerships are mobility schemes for work or training for all the levels anchored in a broader co-operation for migration management. We determined concrete steps to functioning these adapted partnerships by starting with Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. In further discussions and assessments, we have Pakistan, Bangladesh, Senegal and Nigeria. The commission will continue to promote dialogue and co-operation with third countries of origin and transit so that we can work in partnership and jointly address the common challenges of migration.