MEP Nicolae Stefanuta (Greens), vice-president of the European Parliament, on Wednesday spoke in favour of a system based on solidarity in terms of migration management, in which all European Union member states should participate.

”I expect the implementation of what has already been discussed for more than a year, namely a system of solidarity, because it is not OK for either Italy or Greece to bear the brunt of the struggle in terms of migration management, we must also contribute to this. (…) European Union helped us, and even paid us for each refugee from Ukraine whom we hosted in Romania, and now we cannot look away when we need to show solidarity, after we took advantage that time. I believe that we are a united Europe and that we must all participate in a system to deal with migration together, that is, each of us should contribute. Anyway, the labour force in Romania is lacking in many fields, the economy requires people, so I don’t see why we should be xenophobic,” said Stefanuta, during a meeting with Romanian journalists in Strasbourg.

In her State of the EU address to the European Parliament on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she has proposed tripling funding for migration and border management in the next budget.

In addition, the EU will need to reach a swift agreement on a common return system, given that only 20% of those who should leave Europe actually do so. According to the EU executive, the Pact on Migration and Asylum will need to be fully implemented as soon as it enters into force and will only work if all parties involved live up to their obligations.

Von der Leyen also called for a new sanctions regime targeting smugglers and traffickers, freezing their assets, restricting their ability to move and limiting their earnings.

AGERPRES