Ladies and gentlemen,
When in 2015 people were fleeing war and persecution, especially in Syria, in large numbers, Europe was called upon to put in practice the values and principles we hold dear.
And we rose to the occasion. Over the last ten years, we provided refuge to millions of asylum seekers, a remarkable achievement.
I want to acknowledge the role of the Churches especially, who did an incredible job on the ground, but also politically, to support our joint efforts.
We demonstrated that European values – those values that come to us from the moral tradition of the churches – are more than just words in a legal text. They mean something, such as when Pope Francis called for parishes to mobilise in 2015 to provide shelter to refugees, and thousands of parishes throughout Europe answered his call
At the same time, this large number of arrivals also revealed the limits of our old rules and systems. Our asylum systems quickly became overwhelmed, threatening to erode public support, and providing opportunities for reckless criminal smugglers to take advantage of the most desperate and vulnerable members of society.
In short, our citizens got the feeling that we had lost control of what is happening in Europe. It soon became clear that if we wanted to continue to offer meaningful protection and to fulfill our responsibilities, we had to re-think the way we manage our migration and asylum systems. It is us Europeans who must be in control, and not the criminal gangs who ruthlessly risk the lives of migrants, for gigantic profits.
That is what motivated us to begin work on the ‘Pact for Migration and Asylum: the most comprehensive reform to migration policy in the EUs history. Nothing about the negotiations were easy, but we managed to agree a comprehensive framework that is both fair and firm; one that fully respects fundamental rights, and that allows us to continue to provide protection to those in need, while stopping the criminals and hostile state actors who are trying to use our policies against us.
Under the Pact, we are drawing clear lines between (1) protection and asylum (2) legal pathways to Europe, and (3) illegal migration.
The first one, protection and asylum, we will always provide. It is our responsibility and it is our moral duty to help those in need. In fact, it is only by fixing the problems in our system that we can continue to meet this responsibility – both politically and practically speaking. I have no doubt that our citizens will always support the right to asylum for those who really need it – but only if the system is perceived as fair and free from abuse.
The second one, legal pathways, we want to have. In fact, the EU needs to have it. Our demographics are changing. For Europe to maintain its place in the world, we need the talent, the skills and the energy of legal migrants. And by fixing our migration policy, we will ensure that the EU remains an attractive destination for migrants to choose.
It is the third one, illegal migration, that we are aiming to stop. This is also important from a humanitarian perspective. Remember that practically all illegal migration is driven by bad actors – it involves exploitation; it is linked with trafficking in human beings and with criminal networks. Those criminals are responsible for over 34,000 (IOM missing migrants projections) tragic deaths in the last ten years – for them, lost lives are simply a part of their dirty business.
And when a person who should not even be in the EU commits a violent crime, it drives polarisation and extremism. Not only does it threaten our ability to remain open and welcoming to those in real need, it makes the integration of legal migrants and refugees more difficult. In fact, it threatens the very fabric of our societies.
The reform of our internal rules and systems is only one part of our effort. The EU is already engaging strongly on the global stage, and will step it up even further. To build partnerships with countries that will allow us to create legal pathways for safe migration, but also to address the root causes of migration and to combat migrant smuggling along migratory routes.
This international engagement will always reflect our European values, our unwavering respect for fundamental rights, and our deep attachment to human dignity.
By continuing to defend these values globally, I believe we will be aligned with the work of the Churches in this area too. Certainly, I would hope that we can continue the dialogue on these important issues, beyond todays programme.
Finally, coming to integration, I would say that the same principles apply here too. When we talk about good integration policy, of course we must talk about language learning, access to services, access to jobs and recognition of qualifications.
But there is a deeper foundation for good integration. It is the recognition that all of us – whether native or migrant – are equal in the eyes of God. This is where our European values come from, and this is what will always guide our policies.
Thank you.
