EU interior ministers to pledge ‘all necessary measures’ to stop illegal crossings

EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday will pledge “all necessary measures” to prevent illegal crossings into the bloc’s external borders, according to a draft of their conclusions seen by Kathimerini, which also calls upon Turkey to abide by the terms of a 2016 deal to stem flows in the Aegean.

“Illegal crossings will not be tolerated. The EU and its member states will take all necessary measures to prevent this from happening and urge migrants not to endanger their lives by attempting illegal crossings by land or sea,” the draft said.

“The Council expresses its strong solidarity with Greece and other member states which might be similarly affected,” it said adding that ministers will meet again on March 13 to further develop the EU’s response to needs expressed by Athens.

“All member states, the European Commission and EU agencies stand ready to strengthen their support to regions under pressure, in particular though the deployment of Frontex’s rapid border intervention,” the draft said while calling upon all actors and organizations on the ground to counter the dissemination of false information.

According to the draft, the Council also urges Turkey “to fully implement the provisions of the 2016 joint statement and to refrain from actions which endanger human lives.”

“The EU will continue to assist those communities in Turkey in the context of the conflict in Syria and expects Turkey to keep its commitments under the statement,” it said.