Mogherini Debates Central Mediterranean Migration With MEPs
The need to stabilize the internal situation in Libya and to preserve European Union values, including human rights, were the recurring points raised by MEPs in a Wednesday afternoon debate with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on growing migratory pressure in the central Mediterranean.
Ahead of the informal European Council meeting of February 3, during which the 28 EU heads of state or government will discuss the central Mediterranean route and Libya, Mogherini repeated that “refugees must be welcomed. This is a strong position that the EU has and will continue to have”.
Some said MEPs said that it is urgently necessary to stabilize the internal situation in Libya and keep working with the migrants’ countries, while other MEPs rejected the possibility of reaching a migration deal with Libya.
The MEPs encouraged the EU not to “outsource” its migration policy responsibilities and to focus on human rights and dignity.
EU values such as openness, respect, rejection of nationalism and promotion of human decency, should be promoted to prevent Trump’s actions being reproduced in Europe, some MEPs added.