Strengthening cooperation in migration management, preventing illegal inflows and promoting legal migration are among the central elements of the road map adopted on Tuesday in Prague by approximately 50 countries in Europe and Central Asia, from which Russia and Belarus were excluded, according to Spanish. EFE agency quoted by Agerpres.

These ideas were agreed by the countries of the European Union – the Czech Republic, which holds the presidency of the EU Council this semester – the countries of the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia, such as Turkey, under the auspices of the “Prague Process”, in order to overcome the challenges related to migration in the period 2023-2027 years.

The approximately 50 countries that are part of this functional and open dialogue platform on migration and asylum reached an agreement on Tuesday on the subject of a joint ministerial declaration and action plan, which EFE had access to.

The declaration highlights six areas of cooperation, including combating illegal migration and human trafficking, strengthening the right to asylum, and promoting readmission and voluntary return to the country of origin.

“New Pact on Migration and Asylum in the EU”

The EU and the 27 partners in the bloc also want to simplify the process of legal migration and mobility, integrate migrants and, ultimately, make effective use of their potential. According to the statements of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, this will lead to “a new pact on migration and asylum in the EU”.

A topic that generates new uncertainties after the conflict in Afghanistan, due to the return to power of the Taliban and due to the effects of climate change, according to Czech Interior Minister Vito Rakusan. And, above all, because of the wave of refugees from Ukraine, of whom 4.3 million already have a special visa in the EU, and who could continue to enjoy this protection after the activation of the proposal for a European directive initiated by Johansson.

“670,000 Ukrainian children study in EU schools, which we have reason to be proud of,” said the Swedish politician.

Resource centers on migration issues in countries of origin

The EU also faced an abnormal increase in illegal border crossings, “three times higher than in 2021 and 10 times higher than in 2018”, especially through the so-called Western Balkans route, the European commissioner said.

This phenomenon concerns citizens of countries not at war, such as India, Tunisia, Burundi or Cuba, which offer them virtually no options for temporary protection in the EU.

The 2023-2027 action plan outlines cooperation programs to assess these migration flows, an approach that the European Commission will use in the future with North Macedonia and Albania in competition with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).

In addition, migration resource centers will be established in countries of origin to encourage potential migrants to carry out awareness campaigns about the risks of travel.

EU says it doesn’t want to cause ‘brain drain’

The EU, aware of the usefulness of this labor force in societies with aging populations and low birth rates, also wants to maximize the potential of these migrants, but in a balanced manner so as not to cause a “brain drain”. drainage”.

“We will continue to promote programs aimed at reintegrating migrants into the labor market from their countries of origin, taking into account the skills and competences acquired abroad,” the action plan states.

The declaration was supported by 48 countries, including the states of the European Union represented by the European Commission, five countries of the Eastern Partnership (Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Ukraine) and six countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan). , Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The document was also signed by six countries and organizations from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo), Turkey and three countries of the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein). .