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DE RUEHBS #1948/01 1650728
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R 140728Z JUN 07
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001948 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS PREL PREF SMIG KCRM SW EUN
SUBJECT: EU RECOGNIZES RESPONSIBILITY TO SAVE 
THE LIVES OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN THE 
MEDITERRANEAN 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  EU Interior Ministers in the June 12 JHA 
Council meeting in Luxembourg recognized their 
shared "responsibility" to save the lives of 
illegal migrants from Africa involved in tragic 
events in the Mediterranean.  Ministers 
nevertheless offered little concrete help to 
frontline state Malta to handle the problem 
amid concerns that a Maltese request for 
allocating the migrants among EU countries 
could encourage rather than deter illegal 
migration.  Commission Vice-President Frattini 
briefed the Council about the state of play 
regarding visa reciprocity with the U.S. (and 
Canada) and announced that, "in light of recent 
developments in these two countries regarding 
the visa waiver program," the presentation of 
the Commission third visa reciprocity report 
would be delayed until September 2007.  The 
Council recorded its agreement with the 
European Parliament on a legislative package 
establishing the visa database system for 
visits to or transit through the Schengen area. 
Full text of Council conclusions has been 
transmitted to EUR/ERA.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS AT THE EU's SOUTHERN BORDERS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The continuing drama of illegal migrants 
from Africa desperate to reach the EU's 
Southern shores dominated comments to the media 
at the June 12 meeting of EU Interior ministers 
(JHA Council).  The issue was put on the agenda 
per request of Malta, which has been calling on 
its EU partners devise a system for migrants 
whose boats founder in non-EU waters to be 
distributed among member states.  Maltese 
Interior Minister Tonio Borg appealed to EU 
countries for help: "The situation right now is 
a complete mess," he said. "Each year 600 
immigrants are dying ... on the threshold of 
Europe." 
 
¶3.  "We cannot tolerate people dying," German 
Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble/Council 
chair told a post-Council press conference. 
Drawing from a joint Declaration of the German 
Presidency and Commission Vice-President 
Frattini that was "noted" by the Council, 
Schauble said the human tragedies in the 
Mediterranean were a European problem, 
"requiring a comprehensive solution" 
encompassing measures in the areas of 
immigration, asylum and border management. 
Schauble said that proposals "with a view to 
sharing responsibilities" would be discussed by 
EU officials next week.  Claiming there was "no 
controversial debate" at the Council's table, 
he said ministers recognized "a principle of 
solidarity and the need to take the problem of 
a specific country (read: Malta) into 
consideration." 
 
¶4.  Though Schauble claimed that his Maltese 
colleague had been satisfied with the EU 
response at the meeting, Minister Borg 
apparently had problems to convince partners. 
According to EU sources, delegations agreed on 
the need to save people, but few were keen to 
take responsibility for illegal migrants once 
they are safely ashore.  Some ministers, 
including French Immigration Minister 
Hortefeux, stressed the need to work closely 
with the countries that people are fleeing or 
crossing to reach Europe.  They were concerned 
that "burden sharing" might appear to 
immigrants as a "free ticket" to move deeper 
into the EU.  Borg brushed off claims that 
illegal migrants could be drawn into their 
journeys by the possibility of a free flight to 
Paris: "They first cross the desert," he said. 
"If they survive that they try to cross the 
Mediterranean, and if they survive that then 
they are accepted or saved by the European 
authorities." 
 
BRUSSELS 00001948  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶5.  Frattini told the press conference Malta 
would receive help patrolling its vast area of 
maritime surveillance when the Agency for the 
control of the EU's external borders (Frontex) 
would launch its "Nautilus operation" on June 
25, in which France, Greece, Germany and Italy 
would also take part alongside Malta.  Frattini 
said he would pursue his efforts to involve 
Libya but confessed he was "not so optimistic 
about the possibility to get Libya on board by 
the end of June." 
 
SCHENGEN INFORMATION SYSTEM 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Following talks in the "Mixed Committee" 
with their Schengen counterparts from Norway, 
Iceland and Switzerland, the EU ministers 
adopted conclusions noting progress in 
implementation of the "SISone4all" project 
(extension of current SIS I to include new 
member states: Czech republic, Estonia, 
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, 
Slovenia, Slovakia).  Minister Schauble told 
reporters the project was proceeding according 
to schedule and that "by the end of the year 
conditions should be in place for the 
enlargement of the Schengen area" (removal of 
internal border checks with the new member 
states, as envisaged between December 2007 and 
March 2008). 
 
VISA INFORMATION SYSTEM 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.  The Council reached a political agreement 
on the legislative package concerning the Visa 
Information System (VIS), the database system 
concerning visas for visits to or transit 
through the Schengen area, thereby endorsing 
texts negotiated with the European Parliament 
for a VIS Regulation and a VIS Decision.  The 
adoption of these instruments by the EP and the 
political agreement by member states are 
necessary for further developing the system for 
the exchange of visa information between member 
states.  More specifically: 
 
-- The VIS Regulation will allow consulates 
and other competent authorities to start 
using the system when processing visa 
applications and to check visas. 
 
-- The VIS Decision will allow police and law 
enforcement authorities to consult the 
data under certain conditions that ensure 
a high level of data protection. 
 
¶8.  The Visa Information System will store data 
on up to 70 million people concerning visas for 
visits to or transit through the Schengen Area, 
including the applicant's photograph and 
fingerprints.  The Commission said high levels 
of security were being built into the system 
"to ensure it remains robust and available at 
all times and that data is only accessed by 
authorized persons for authorized purposes. 
Once it is fully operational, the VIS will be 
connected to all visa-issuing consulates of the 
Schengen States and to all their external 
border crossing points." 
 
¶9.  Commission Vice-President Frattini welcomed 
the adoption of the new legal instruments, 
saying: "This will make the EU a safer region. 
On the one hand, the VIS will offer a new 
practical tool both for consulates and border 
checkpoints, which will be the main daily users 
of the VIS, and for the police and law 
enforcement communities of the Member States, 
in order to prevent, fight and investigate 
terrorist offences as well as other serious 
crimes.  On the other hand, bona fide travelers 
will benefit from the VIS, in particular, as 
regards the issuing of multiple-entry visas." 
Frattini said he would visit the new member 
states in the weeks and months to come in order 
 
BRUSSELS 00001948  003 OF 003 
 
 
to bring them "a positive message." 
 
SITUATION OF IRAQI REFUGEES 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10.  Frattini also reported on steps undertaken 
to gain "a precise and comprehensive picture of 
national practices" concerning Iraqi asylum- 
seekers in the EU.  Further to its discussions 
in April, the Council agreed that its bodies 
should continue to monitor the refugee 
situation in Iraq and its neighboring regions, 
as well as the influx of Iraqi refugees to the 
EU.  Officials noted that, according to the 
UNHCR, the situation in Iraq continues to 
worsen, with more than 2 million Iraqis now 
believed to be displaced inside Iraq and 
another 2.2 million sheltering in neighboring 
states. 
 
VISA WAIVER RECIPROCITY 
----------------------- 
 
¶11.  Frattini briefed the Council about the 
state of play regarding visa reciprocity with 
the U.S. and Canada.  According to the Council 
conclusions, Frattini announced that, "in the 
light of recent developments in these two 
countries regarding the visa waiver program, 
the presentation of the Commission third visa 
reciprocity report would be delayed until 
September 2007."  The conclusions note that the 
U.S. "signaled a new initiative on the visa 
waiver program in November 2006 involving the 
possibility of new legislation" and that "the 
situation in Canada is that the outcome of a 
visa waiver criteria review being undertaken by 
the 
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is due 
soon and will provide a basis for discussion 
with the Commission and the member states 
concerned in the near future."  The Council 
"agreed that the Presidency and the Commission 
would continue to have contacts with Canada and 
the United States on visa reciprocity." 
 
GRAY