 And let us now start with our very interesting debate on the new pact on migration and the asylum. Our guest today, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ilva Johansson, whom I warmly welcome. Commissioner Johansson exactly one year ago, you attended your first meeting with the European Committee of Regents as Commissioner responsible for Home Affairs. So I would like to thank you today for your great respect to the work done by mayors and regional leaders on migration. Let me be clear, migration is not a new phenomenon and shall not be perceived as a problem. The problems come in the absence of a holistic policy on migration. And this is the case today, unfortunately. Not probably integrating migrants bears a cost in economic, political and social terms. Problems arise when we do not show solidarity and act with responsibility all across the EU. When we do not offer fair solutions to the countries of origin. When we do not efficiently deter organized criminals from smuggling human beings across Europe's external borders. When there is a lack of Europe in the management of the migration phenomenon and we witness tragedies like Moria, as well as the thousands of victims in the Mediterranean. When only some countries are left alone to deal with the migration issue. Regions and cities in the Aegean and the Mediterranean to face a low, this immense issue is not a sign of solidarity. And it's not definitely not how Europe should work because this is a European issue. It's not a national issue. I therefore thank you for the proposals that you, Commissioner Johansson and Vice President Schinas have put forward towards a compromise between the member states and the EU's institutions. As you know, local authorities are the key implementers of integration policy. They also risk becoming the most exposed elected officials when it comes to managing migration. For this reason, we echo their call for direct funding and for a voice in the legislative phases on the issues of migration and integration. The Committee of the Regions stands ready to facilitate specific public consultations with local and regional authorities, which must be tailored to their specific needs if they are to be useful. I welcome the Commission's Action Plan on Integration, its objectives and the proposal for a political partnership with the Committee of the Regions. Our cooperation agreement on migrants integration that we adopt today will enhance our joint efforts. We need mayors to change their best practices. We need them to engage with their own communities. We need them to offer tools that will allow migrants to access the local labour market learning the language of the host community. We need them to promote a positive narrative to fight populism, extremism and hate speech. And above all, we need not to leave them alone in the handling of this crisis. In this challenge, the example of Mayor Pavel Adarovich, our former COR member, will guide many of us. Local leaders, our people are in establishing a non-divisive discourse. Sustainable integration of your refugees and migrants in small cities and rural areas could also become a factor for regional development. For instance, by making use of empty housing, successful integration can also contribute to demand for public and private provision. Odemira in Portugal hosts 3400 migrants, 12% of its population, coming from 23 different countries. As the native population cannot meet its needs, about 70% of the agricultural worker of its farms are migrants, who through their labour have become integrated in their new community. Municipalities have also helped by setting a new governance structure, such as the Office for Migrant Integration. In Roketa del Mar, Adalusia, whereby integration plans are drawn up for migrants and bi-migrants, plans for labour inclusion through education and training have been successfully put forward throughout Europe, from Alderburg, Germany, to Wanta, Finland, from Solva in Sweden to Brussels, with its Duo for Jobs initiative, which provides volunteering mentors who accompany migrants in their search for a job. The Government of Catalonia has implemented a mentoring programme to facilitate the social inclusion of an accompanied minor, which includes learning the host region's language. MAGA, with its intercultural mediators project, promotes social inclusions and fights poverty and discrimination, while Michelin leads by example in preventing segregation. So I want to call for the direct involvement in the Schengen Forum of those regions that have former powers in the field of home affairs, since their action can provide added value to achieving EU and national objectives. In terms of security and border management, tackling migration also means assessing its territorial impact, which is spread unevenly across Europe. The impact must be taken into account when redistributing funds or when considering how to enhance resilience, we will promote the specific needs of border regions on relocation and resettlement, in cooperation with diaspora organisations in their respective regions, and by promoting decentralized cooperation with counterparts in non-EU countries of origin. Dear Commissioner, to conclude my intervention, I would like to say that efficient strategic communication and coordinated work on sensitive topics like migration remains essential. So in this challenge, I really count on your personal help and the help of the Commission. Together we can succeed in the interests of our people and their local communities. And together we can finally reach a point where the migration issue will be faced and dealt with as a European issue, not as an issue of one to three countries. We are all in this together. So let's deal and let's fight for this issue together. Thank you very much. The floor is yours, Commissioner. Thank you very much, Apostolpalos. And I very much agree in many of the words that you have said, and I'm very happy to work close together with you and the Committee of the Regions. Let me start. I will present very shortly the part because I think many of you already know a lot of the content. But I would like also to say a few words on why we have presented and what are the goals that we want to achieve. First, we must recognize that migration is something normal. Migration has always been there. It will always be there. Just to give you some figures. Last year, the EU member states issued three million residence permits. Three million. More than one million of those were for work permit. But the most common reason to come to the European Union is for love. People that are falling in love with EU citizens come here to live here or for other family reasons. Work is another important reason but also study, do research and some that need international protection. Last year, more than one million people left the European Union. The most common reason is because they're falling in love with a person outside the European Union or for other family reasons but some also for work or for study or research. So we have a net growth of people in the European Union with around one to two million people a year. And we need that. We are an aging society so we need migration. And I should say that this part of migration works quite well. Last year, 700,000 people became European citizens. That means they're probably going to stay here for the rest of their lives. So what we are addressing in our pact on migration in asylum are those part of migration policy that are not working well enough. And that is, for example, the irregular arrivals. Last year we had 140,000 irregular arrivals. That's pretty few compared to the three million residence permit. But still this is a challenge that we need to address. We need fewer irregular arrivals to the European Union and instead open up for legal pathways both for refugees and labour migration. We also need to do much more when it comes to returns. We have a lot of people that have applied for asylum, got an asylum decision that is negative, got a return decision, but have not returned to the country of origin. And I think this is important that we can show our citizens that there is a clear distinction between those that are eligible to stay. They should be welcome. They should be integrated and be part of our society. And I will come back to integration shortly. But those that are not eligible to stay, they have to return to their country of origin. And this is an area where member states can do a lot more, but we can also need to work close with third countries. And third, what we need to address is the solidarity between member states. As you rightly said, apostopolos, their geographical realities do causes that member states are facing very different kind of realities. And some member states receive much more irregular arrivals than others. And that means we need a clear and mandatory solidarity mechanism between member states so that member states can help each other when you are under pressure, but also for such a rescue cases or if that should be a crisis. I should say we are in a very different situation now compared to 2015. Then we had almost 2 million irregular arrivals and most of them were refugees. As I said last year, we had 140,000 irregular arrivals and only one third of them were refugees. A majority were not in need of international protection and need to be to return to the country of origin. And this is how we have also tailored the proposal. So we are focusing very much on the relations with third countries, countries of origin, transit and departure. So to be able to manage migration in a good way in the European Union, we need to manage migration together with our partner countries. And this has been my focus now the last six months. I traveled a lot to partner countries. I reached out also to renew and set up starting negotiations, readmission agreement with third countries. We need to work together with them both in the case of fighting human smugglers, preventing people to go into very dangerous journeys that might even risk their lives. But also to make sure that returns actually work and to help third countries to manage migration and their borders well. So this is an important part of the package. To be able to do more returns quicker, it's important that the decision can come quick. I think it's very obvious we have a problem today in many member states where people that are not eligible for international protection have been in a country for years before they got a return decision. And then it's very difficult because you've been part of society, you are falling in love, you are maybe working. And then it's more difficult both for the individual and for the authorities to actually carry out returns. That's why we are proposing that we should have a quicker decision already at the borders for those that are probably not in need of international protection. We propose a mandatory screening process to make sure that everybody is registered, checked for security reasons, health checks, but also to decide what kind of process that person, if he or she applies for an international, for asylum, what kind of process that person should go through. And those that are coming from countries with a very low recognition rate and that are not families with small children or unaccompanied minors or vulnerable, they should go through border procedures. The reason is that I would like to have a quick decision and a quick return of those not in need of international protection. We're also proposing a mandatory solidarity mechanism that is quite flexible, but also that could show real solidarity if necessary, when necessary, to a member state under pressure. It's possible at the end of the day with our proposal that member states should be obliged to do either relocation or return sponsorship to help a country that have too many migrants at a specific case. What is a return sponsorship? European Commission, we do a readmission agreement with third countries. We help through Frontex to carry out the plane that could actually bring people back to be returned. But we do not have the competence as commission to do the individual documents for a specific person to be returned to a specific country and the identification of that. We can help with it, but at the end of the day it has to be a member state that actually take this decision. That's a way where member states can help each other to do that if a country are under pressure with too many people that need to be returned, and that will be proposed. We also propose that such a rescue case should be part of a solidarity mechanism. We also said in the pack that we should come with additional proposals, and I've already presented the first additional proposals, and that is the action plan on integration and inclusion. And this is of course really where the local and regional authorities are really important, because nobody, to be true, is integrated to EU or to a member state. They are all integrated to a local community, and that's where all the support needs to be. And that's where we from the commission now in the new MFF have much more money available for integration measures. And I wrote a letter to all member states together with my colleagues, Commissioner Schmidt and Commissioner Ferreira, to show member states all the possibilities for funding that we have on integration. And we promised them also to set up special meetings to help them to access these funding for integration. I think that's really important. In the beginning of next year I'm coming with new proposals also on legal pathways. We already in the pack proposed that we should step up on resettlement for refugees, where we propose the community-sponsored resettlement scheme. I'm inspired by the Canadian model, and I think that we should develop a European one, where a local community could also take the responsibility and top of the national schemes for resettlement. And we'll also in the beginning of next year present a new skills and talent package for legal pathways for labor purposes. And I can tell you that later today I will also be in a trialogue on the blue card. I hope we can finalize it already before Christmas to have also the blue card adopted by the co-legislators, and that would also help. Later next year I will also come with new proposals on voluntary returns. That's important both from the EU member states, voluntary returns to country of origin, but also to help third countries, our neighboring countries, where I have a lot of people that are more or less waiting to try to get into the European Union, also to propose voluntary returns for them. We have done that in Libya with very good results together with the African Union. So this is part of our proposals, and of course I understand that there are probably a lot of questions on how everything of this will work, and I would be happy to answer them. I will also always got this question, will this be adopted by member states and parliament? And I will answer that question directly. Of course I can't say for sure, but I'm very optimistic. We have a very constructive discussion in council and in parliament. And I think that's partly because I reached out very intensively to member states and other stakeholders and parliament before I presented a proposal, and it's a balanced proposal. And I think that everybody realized that nobody is fully satisfied with the proposal. And that, of course, shows also that it is a compromise. I think it's necessary that we have a compromise and a balanced proposal. And I think also important that we de-dramatize the political debate on migration. The situation for specific migrants could be dramatic, but to be able to solve this and to manage this, we need to de-dramatize the political debate about migration. And so far, this is also the reaction from the co-legislators. So I'm not convinced that we will reach an agreement, but I'm quite optimistic. Thank you. Thank you. The floor now to Mark Spies on behalf of the APB. Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident, sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin Jonsson. Ich bin der Kommission außerordentlich dankbar für die Vorlage dieses Vorschlags zum Migrations-und Asylpaket, weil wir endlich eine Lösung für diese Frage brauchen. Meine Region Nordrhein-Westfalen liegt hunderte Jahrtausende Kilometer entfernt von den Küsten der Griechischen Inseln, der Küsten Süd-Italiens, der Küsten der Kanarischen Inseln. Und deswegen sage ich gerade mit dieser großen Distanz, für mich geht es hier um eine europäische Frage. Die Flüchtlinge, die Schutzsuchenden betreten europäischen Boden und deswegen ist auch Europa in der Pflicht und Verantwortung zu helfen und gerade den Ländern beizustehen, die da ganz vorne in der Herausforderung stehen. Deswegen glaube ich, ist es wichtig, dass das Konzept der Solidarität aufrechterhalten wird. Ich finde es gelungen, dass wir nun ein flexibles und doch verpflichtendes System im Vorschlag der Kommission haben, denn wir brauchen auch diese Flexibilität in der Solidarität und wir brauchen klare Regeln gegen diejenigen, die das System ist brauchen. Das betrifft den Menschenhandel ebenso wie diejenigen, die unseres Schutzes nicht bedürfen, die wir konsequent zurückführen müssen, auch das hat die Kommissarin gesagt. Wenn wir jetzt die nächsten Schritte angehen, ist es aus meiner Sicht ganz wichtig, dass wir die Perspektive der kommunalen Gebietskörper schaffen, der Regionen, mit einbeziehen. Denn es sind gerade die Kommunen und die Regionen, die mit den Herausforderungen ganz unmittelbar betroffen sind, auf eine ganz praktische Weise. Und es ist wichtig, dass wir diese Erfahrungen auch in den Prozess der weiteren Ausgestaltung des Pakts einbringen. Davon bin ich tief überzeugt. Insofern bin ich sehr dankbar und begrüße es, dass sich das Paket ausdrücklich zum Aufbau einer Partnerschaft mit dem Ausschuss der Regionen zur Aufnahme eines politischen Dialogs und zur Förderung des Lernens und des Austaus über Integration für lokale und regionale Gebietskörperschaften verpflichtet. Als Vorsitzender der Fachkommission CIVEX freue ich mich auch besonders über die Entwicklung der operationalen Partnerschaft für Integration zwischen dem Ausschuss der Regionen und der Generaldirektion für Migration und Inneres der Europäischen Kommission. Diese Partnerschaft baut auf den Aktivitäten der Plattform Städte und Regionen für die Integration von Migranten auf, in der wir schon heute erfolgreich zusammenarbeiten. Migration ist nach COVID-19 momentan das Thema Nummer 1 in vielen europäischen Regionen und Kommunen, gerade auch bei denen, die an den Außengrenzen liegen und die eine hohe Zahl von Migranten aufnehmen. Viele Regionen erwarten nun plausible Lösungen, um die Situation in Zeiten angespanter Haushalte zu entschärfen. Es ist richtig, wir sollten die gesamte Diskussion endramatisieren, so wie die Kommissarin das gerade gesagt hat. Wir blicken deshalb mit großer Hoffnung und mit dem gleichen Optimismus, den Sie, Frau Kommissarin Jonson, haben, auf den Vorschlag für das neue Migrations- und Asylpaket. Es stellt die Chance für einen historischen Kompromiss dar, der aus meiner Sicht längst überfällig ist. Vielen Dank. Thank you. The floor now to Antje Grütter from the PES, who is also the rapporteur on asylum immigration package. Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident. Sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin Jonson, liebe Mitglieder, im Namen der SPE-Fraktion und in meiner Eigenschaft als Berichterstatterin des ADR, begrüße ich den neuen Pakt über Migration und Asyl und seine dringend benötigte Ergänzung, den Aktionsplan für Integration und Inklusion. Dieses ist in der Tat ein riesiges Paket von Vorschlägen. Ich hoffe aufrichtig, dass es bald so einem richtigen Pakt wird, indem sich alle Mitgliedstaaten darauf einigen, sich zu echter Solidarität zusammenzuschließen. Frau Kommissarin, Sie können sich auf die volle Unterstützung des Europäischen Ausschusses der Region verlassen. Und wir freuen uns sehr auf den Staat der Integrationspartnerschaft zwischen unseren und ihren Einrichtungen. Ich verstehe voll und ganz das Ausmaß Ihrer Aufgabe, Frau Kommissarin, einen fünfjährigen Stillstand zu überwinden und Gemeinsamkeiten zu finden, um bei den Herausforderungen durch die Migration endlich voranzukaufen. Die neuen Vorschläge sind ein Anfang. Es muss aber auch klar sein, dass wir uns nicht nur auf den kleinsten gemeinsamen Männer einlegen dürfen. Wir brauchen ein funktionierendes Migrations- und Asylsystem, bei dem die Menschenrechte und die Rechtsstaatlichkeit in vollem Umfang zu achten sind und bereits bei seinem Design berücksichtigt werden. Wir brauchen ein System echter Solidarität, durch eine gerechte und verhältnismäßige Teilung der Aufgaben und der Verantwortung, dass die Rolle der lokalen und regionalen Infizkörperschaften bei Migration, Asyl und Integration uneingeschränkt, anerkennt und unterstützt. Deswegen freue ich mich heute sehr darüber, dass gestern mit der Einigung des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rats über den E-Ufons zu Asylpolitik, Migration und Ethikration, IMF, bis 2027 hierfür eine Grundlage gelegt wurde. Die Bresaunhaubrolle der Regionen muss meines Erachtens dadurch beachtet werden, dass eine ordnungsgemäße Konsultation der lokalen und regionalen Führungsebenen erfolgt, beispielsweise bevor Umsiedlungs- oder Rückführungsmaßnahmen eignet werden, da solche Verfahren schwerwiegende Auswirkungen auf diese Behörden und diese Gebiete haben. Gleichzeitig müssen wir den Migrationsdruck an der EU ausengrenzen, an den dort gelegenen Ländern und insbesondere den enormen Druck auf Grenzstädte oder Inseln verringern. Solche Belastungen werden relativiert, wenn wir die Durchschnittswerte der einzelnen Mitgliedsdaten betrachten. Aber konkret vor Ort sind sie einfach unheimlich. Deshalb müssen wir Unterstützungsmechanismen für Inseln und Grenzstädte aktivieren, die ständig unter extremen Druck stehen. Ich muss auch betonen, dass flexible Beitragsformen für die Mitgliedsdaten keine einfache Möglichkeit werden dürfen, um sich von ihrem fairen Anteil an der Verantwortung freizukaufen. Solidarität ist keine Wohltat und sie muss verpflichtend sein. Vor diesem Hintergrund sollten wir die freiwilligen Maßnahmen europäischer Städte und Regionen zur Aufnahme von Geflüchteten und Migranten über die ihnen zugewiesenen Quoten hinaus uneingeschränkt unterstützen, um ein subnationales, inner-europäisches Solidaritätsnetzwerk aufzubauen. Die PES-Gruppe hält nachdrücklich an der Notwendigkeit fest, das Narrativ über Migration zu ändern. Schließlich ist eine wirksame Integration und Einbeziehung von Migrantinnen und Migranten in die Europäische Union eine soziale und wirtschaftliche Investition, die die europäischen Gesellschaften kohärenter, widerstandsfähiger und erfolgreicher macht. Der neue Aktionsplan für Integration und Inklusion ist in dieser Hinsicht ein sehr nützliches Instrument. Damit der Aktionsplan jedoch sein Bestreben erfüllen kann, alle verschiedenen Phasen des Integrationsprozesses abzudecken, beginnen bereits mit der Phase Vorherabreise für Migranten, müssen wir die legalen Wege zur Migration vollständig entwickeln. Mehr Morias sind nicht erträglich, ethisch nicht vertretbar und widersprechen den europäischen Grundwerten. Vielen Dank. Thank you very much. The floor now to Andreas Konvillis from the Renew Europe Group for three minutes. Thank you, Mr. President. Dear Commissioner, welcome on behalf of the Renew Europe Group. Our portfolio is not an easy one, but I believe that you are up to the challenge. Needless to say, the world has become a global village. Technological development has enabled instant global interconnection and whether we like it or not, our society will continue to change and develop both online and offline due to demographic change, conflicts, climate change and so on. Nevertheless, we can all agree that the existing European asylum migration policies are not fit for purpose in a changing world. The pressure on the external borders of the EU, especially on its southern borders, is getting worse and worse. Asylum procedures are not functioning as they are supposed to function, that's what you have already said, and the instrument that we have put in place, such as the blue card, are not sufficiently promoted by the European Union. In the United States of America, everyone who acquires a green card feels proud of it. In the European Union, almost nobody knows about the blue card and those who do know, they have to face enormous administrative burden. Our group, Renew Europe, can and will only support a comprehensive approach that takes into account the external dimension of migration, the renewal of our asylum and labor migration systems through solid legal pathway. We will support policies that fight against human traffickers and smugglers, while tackling irregular migration because they go hand in hand. Dear Commissioner, having said that, I'm fully aware that the European Union is doing its utmost and you can't be blamed for the situation. We believe that the Commission's proposal is a right step towards building a sustainable migration and asylum system, however, there's still a lot of work to be done and the Renew Europe Group will help you achieve the objectives set. We salute the fact that all the issues are interlinked and that the Commission's proposal is based on solidarity. Without solidarity, there's no EU. Moreover, we cannot achieve a successful migration and asylum policy without a successful integration policy that is well monitored in order to take proper, corrective actions. Our policies should be based on the principle of subsidiarity which does not mean that those facing the issue have to face it alone. Migration is our collective responsibility and we can't leave the burden to the countries protecting the EU external borders. Dear Commissioner, if you had a magic wand, I'm sure you would transform the EU migration policies, but I'm well aware that there's no magical solution. Nevertheless, please allow me to alert you to the fact that some NGOs receive more financial resources from the EU than the local authorities which themselves are better placed and have more competencies to manage migrants. The role of local authorities is to organize their local communities and their work can of course be complemented but just complemented by civil society organization and NGOs. In Greece, in my municipality, MyCity, MyCity hosts the headquarters of the International Organization of Migration, a country that is facing all the pressures of the migration problem in real time and is heavily suffering the consequences of the ineffective policy of our neighbors and the delays in the implementation of the policies of the EU. Greeks have historically been a hospital and tolerant people but our local communities have reached their limits. The EU must trust the local and regional authorities as they are the level of government closest to the problem, closest to the citizens and have the highest trust of the citizens. Let me finish by underlining that we cannot bypass and we must not bypass the local and regional authorities if we want to succeed in our migration and integration of policies. Thank you very much for your attention. Thank you very much, Mr Condilis. I'm the floor now to Massimiliano Federuga from the ECR for two and a half minutes, please. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. On behalf of the EA Group, we have reserved Nebrela Vila for two minutes, please. Yes, thank you, Mr President, dear Commissioner. The first priority today is and must be the refugee crisis set Mr Junker at sea is not optional, said Ms. von der Leyen on Earth. Between these two speeches, five years went through and estimation says that more than 20,000 lives were lost in the Mediterranean since then, according to IOM's Missing Migrants Project. Since 2014, too many women, men, children have lost their lives in their search for a better and safer future, far from their homes in what has become the major shame of Europe. Today, we debate on the new pact on migration and asylum and despite it is a step forward and even though the commissioner said she was optimistic, we are skeptical on its resolution in the council bearing in mind that the same member states that are blocking the new budget because of the mentioned rule of law are now forming a coalition against this initiative. While the council keeps blocking any advance in European solidarity and thus, people continue to die in their attempt to escape from wars, persecution and conflict, we, the regions, are ready and prone to help as commissioner Johansson already know. The Catalan government sent a letter offering our help in the crisis of Moria and I want to thank the kind answer from Mrs. Johansson and yes, we did work together with the Spanish government and from this dialogue, two amendments from the Catalan side were introduced and approved in the Spanish general budget law for 2021, which was passed last week regarding the creation of safety humanitarian corridors for asylum seekers and measures to reinforce our efforts in Syrescu. More than 10 million have been allocated to this purpose but we want to do more and we need the complicity of the commission too. A direct and improved participation of the regions in the neighborhood development and international cooperation instrument would certainly be a good starting point. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. The floor now to Satu Hapanen from the greens for two minutes please. The European Union can't help but to say that our country is an important part of the world of the security and security issues. The best thing that happens is to take the responsibility of the commission to take the responsibility of the security services. We need to increase the number of security services. We need to increase the number of security services that are needed to support the community. To create a safe route for asylum seekers is not a difficult problem as long as the safety route is changed. We need to respond to the Central European Union and use these security processes in a different way. We can't throw the problem over the European devices but we have a very good team. Good friends, the EU will respond to their concerns about the change of national security and security issues. This also affects positively and negatively in response to the situation. I would like to remind you that we are talking about a very small amount when we are talking about Europe and other things. Thank you very much. Thank you very, very much dear colleague. Let us now, if you agree, commissioner, would you like to take the floor now for your first reaction to what the political groups had to say so far? Yes, please. And I will be brief because I think there were a lot of very good interventions here and I very much agree, especially with Antje Grotha and Mark Spitzch and also Andreas Kondrylis. I think there were a lot of good things said. Just a few remarks. I think also what's very important said here by Satu Hapananen. EU needs to show global leadership. This is important. It's how we act, but also how we act globally and how we also support third countries that are hosting a lot of refugees. And we, of course, as the EU need to take our share. I think it's also important what's mentioned here that we need, of course, to have proper systems in place so that we can make the distinction between those that are eligible to stay and those that are not. We need to prevent people from risking their lives to come to the European Union. Every time a person go into some of those smugglers' boat on the Mediterranean and even worse on the Atlantic route, they risk their lives. We have already lost a lot of hundreds of lives this year. And this we need to prevent by fighting the human smugglers but also by providing legal pathways, both for refugees and for labor migration. It's also important that we can destroy the business model of the smugglers by making it clear that if you come to the European Union without having the right to stay, if you are not in need of international protection, then you will be returned. And we have quite good cooperation with a lot of third countries that do take back their citizens. But I must say that member states can do much more also internally to be able to step up on returns. Having said that, it's also important to say that even though not all that want to come to the European Union can come here or can stay here. They have to return to the country of origin but those are people. We are talking about human beings and they have rights and they have dignity and they have to be treated according to their rights and their dignity even if they need to return to the country of origin. I think all of you have mentioned also the importance and the big capacity that the local level and the regions have in this aspect. And I'm listening carefully to your proposals in this aspect. Thank you. Thank you very much, commissioner. Let me give the floor now to our colleagues who have asked to intervene. The interventions will be for one minute. And let me start with Anna Magyar, please. Dear president, dear commissioner and colleagues, when I always try to separate three things when speaking about migration. Firstly, there are people in trouble fleeing from their homeland. They need help and solidarity according to the Geneva Convention of 1953. And they also need help in the issuing country because people have the right to live in their homeland. Secondly, there are illegal migrants trying to enter at the borders. By my opinion, no way to illegally enter to the EU. We have to observe the Schengen border regulations. Representing the citizens of a Schengen border county, I expect from my government not to accept these illegals and I require to strictly protect the borders. Thirdly, there is a need for new workforce in some EU counties. It's a state-level competence to decide how to invite workforce. It doesn't belong to common EU migration affairs. Nothing to do with it on EU level. Thank you. Thank you very much, Anna Magyar. The floor now to Carl Van Lue. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, madam commissioner. As European Union, we need to show solidarity, but at the same time, European Union has to focus on safe borders and on the return on unjustified asylum seekers. There is a positive note. Finally, certain dogmas are broken in regards to return of unjustified asylum seekers. European Union itself will conclude return agreements with the countries of origin and it will use its full diplomatic weight, trade, visa policy and development aid. But we still don't have an Australian model in the new migration pact to stop illegal migration by making it impossible with maritime border fences, patrolling the sea, controlling the boats and fighting the smugglers. I hope that the commission will take this into account the local and regional authorities feel and see every day the consequences. Thank you. Thank you very much. Joseph Frey, for one minute, please. Dear Mrs. Commissioner, the EU has anchored the right to asylum after the refugee convention in its basic rights map, Article 18. In the previous package, however, it is now set that in individual points and against our own EU legislation. With the commission proposal, a pre-trial system would be created with which the newcomers will be divided into pre-trial countries and then have to go through different processes depending on the country. People from pre-trial countries with European protection quotas under 20% would gradually get into a new, accelerated border process. But these border processes are not fair asylum processes because they do not allow a thorough examination of asylum applications and create a two-class system. We would thus prevent the access to a real asylum process in the European Union in many cases. Basic rights must not be part of it. In fact, it is also valid for frontier units. I see the individual asylum rights map for Article 18 of our basic rights map in this package. We have to deal with this very clearly. Thank you very much. The floor now to Vicenzo Bianco for one minute, please. Thank you, the floor now to Dimitris Birvas, please. The floor to Angel Victor Torres for one minute. It means a very high percentage of eight islands, which is what the Canary Islands are supposed to be. I am glad to hear from all the interviewees about an obligatory European solidarity because we have to have it with the countries and especially with the communities that we are frontier, that we are the ones that we receive from the immigrants. And that is why we ask for a specific support to these communities when the immigrants arrive. Of course, we have to adapt. Yes, but we have to take it. We have to respond and we have to attend. And we can't do it alone. That is why it is essential that there is a responsible, European, and member state. And also with the minorities not accompanied because we are supporting 14 million euros in this area. We have to work. Thank you very much. Is Dimitris Birvas connected now? For one minute you have the floor. Okay, the floor, then to Adam Karaksoni. For one minute. Thank you very much. The floor now to Frank Proust for one minute. Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Apostolos. Thank you, Madam, the commissioner for the work that you have done. Indeed, I think you have to work on the consequences and well separate the economic migrants, the political migrants. And I appreciate your Canadian approach, especially on economic migrants, with definitions in mind of needs. But if we want to be effective on the consequences, and where you are right, it is a work that we have to take on the causes, and especially with the countries. And I think that globally, we have to do a real pact with Africa. I have already said it in commission and worked on the demographic data, because unfortunately on the African continent, even with an economic growth of two figures, this economic growth does not absorb the demographic growth. So what we see today on the European continent, well, this is the beginning, unfortunately, of the migratory flows. So we have to act and work, dialogue with the African continent to limit the migratory flows in Amon. In any case, even if the problem is difficult to solve, I believe, Madam, the commissioner, that you were right to put this problem on the table. Thank you very much, Frank. The floor now to Mr. Gonzalez for one minute. Mr. Gonzalez. Thank you for the floor. The responsibility to take the refugees must be a common responsibility and not be divided between those who take it against and those who send it out. In the first hand, we must end up seeing migration as a problem for the media and the population in the EU. Unfortunately, the growing xenophobia has taken a major turn in this debate. And unfortunately, it has also been a pressure on the government. Sooner or later, it risks creating a right to security in the asylum process. We just have to look at how insecure that process is for asylum training in countries like Sweden, which in many other countries are accused of being always vulnerable. I am afraid of how it can come to be from over and how right to security and security are guaranteed, so it would be interesting to answer that. Thank you. Thank you very much. Is the connection with Mr Birbas now fixed? Okay, Dimitris Birbas, for one minute. We have to change the subject and focus on the debate on migration, because as you just mentioned, this is a event that took place for many centuries and has many positive results, especially in our country. However, the agreement that is being made expresses a lot of negative comments, but we don't take it lightly as a test. So we can easily lead in the transition areas of the Middle East and especially in the Middle East, with the management of the participants. However, as I mentioned and again to the members, the general ease of communication due to the very small time period of the whole period of the negotiations. In short, with the exception of dangerous replacements, but we don't take it lightly as a test in the Middle East and don't take it lightly with the management of the replacements. I am glad that you and your colleagues have faced many problems with the implementation of the law but also with the re-examination of it. And we must do this for reasons because we are often members and allies for the situation that is created for migration and migration with specific geopolitical activities, economic institutions and often with military operations. Mr. President, and also from our own President and from many colleagues, that it cannot be achieved by large business and economic institutions as well as by international governments. Something like this is happening in my country without dealing with the environmental and local problems and these are being faced by the local authorities. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I believe that you will listen to us and it will really be a practice of all these prejudices that take place in this new agreement that we and you will implement. Thank you, Mr. Birvas. Commissioner, it's finally time for your final intervention after you've heard and thank you very much for your patience, the ideas and the proposals of the members of the Committee of the Regents so you have the floor. Thank you very much and I always appreciate to listen to you with direct experience and responsibilities from the local level so it's very important for me just a few remarks. First, I think the importance of partnership with Africa of course is of the essence for many reasons. I would also like to comment on the Canary Islands. We now see a huge increase of people using the Atlantic Road which is the most deadly route ever to the European Union. We don't know how many lives have been lost but we do know that almost 20,000 people have come to the Canary Islands irregularly. This seems like a huge majority of these are not refugees and they have to be returned and this is really a challenge right now. I went to the Canary Island recently together with the Spanish Minister. It was very important for me to meet also directly with the local authorities, the local mayors and the Canary Islands to discuss this issue. Spain has asked for additional funding for the Canary Islands and we have approved that. I also went last week to Morocco because I think it's important. A majority of those now arriving at the Canary Islands are Moroccans. I guess very few of them are refugees and it's important that Morocco also take back their citizens so we are working on this issue. I would like to make a few clarifications also according to what has been said here. First, my proposal is not infringing fundamental rights at all. At the opposite, we are actually strengthening the fundamental rights and especially when it comes to children we have a clear child's perspective. It's a misunderstanding that there should be different kind of asylum procedures for different people. Everybody has to write to a proper and fair asylum procedure. What I would like to achieve with the border procedure is that for those probably not in need of international protection this procedure takes place at the borders so that we can have a swift return if there is a negative decision and of course otherwise you will be integrated into society. One other reason for that is that I should think that we should not relocate those that are probably not in need of international protection. Otherwise we would really help the smugglers to even have to earn even more money on their dangerous routes. So this is the same right to apply for asylum and the same right to have your application processed in a fair way even if you go through a border procedure. I would also say protecting our borders it's always in the combination of the possibility for those who want to apply for asylum to do so and to enter to have the asylum application processed. That is in line with the Geneva Convention that is in line with our keys. So protecting our borders is not compatible with denying people to apply for asylum and that's why I also proposed in my pact that all member states should have an independent monitoring mechanism to make sure that push backs should not take place. People that come to our borders and apply for asylum have to have their application processed and decided. If it's a negative one, they have to return. If they are in need of protection they are welcome and we should protect them. Thank you very much for all your intervention and I'm really happy to work very close with you further on especially when it comes to integration but I think also that your views on migration and asylum pact in all aspects have been very valuable for me. Thank you. Thank you very much Commissioner for your time, your effort and your great work all this year and thank you very much for maintaining this close contact with the European Committee of the Regions. It is true that you have been following our work and our proposals and you have incorporated them in the pact and this is something very important for us so I really want to thank you for that and always keep in mind that regions, cities all around Europe are here to help implement this pact and we will continue working until the European Union finally manages to create all the let's say the preconditions for a better handling of the situation especially when it comes to sharing the burden of this responsibility of the immigration crisis all throughout Europe to all 27 Member States because this as I said at the beginning of my speech is a European issue so we should not have this issue being dealt only by one or two or three countries alone we are here in this together and solidarity is the basic value of the European Union that we all serve and believe in. Thank you very much for your time your support and we will see you very soon again in one of our plenaries, thank you.