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Public Hearing on Tragedies of Migrants at Sea. Programme

Document number
1545
Date
2007
Title
Public Hearing on Tragedies of Migrants at Sea. Programme
Author/publisher
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, European Parliament, European Union
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Meeting Documentation/Conference Reports,
Keywords
Migrant rights; Migration management; Comprehensive approach to migration; Migration policy; Restrictive migration measures, Irregular Migration, Feminization of migration, Economic migration, Labour migration, Free movement, Undocumented migrants; Undocumented labour;
Summary
The public hearing was intended to present the current situation in the Mediterranean (from a legal but also a concrete point of view). It also aimed to focus on the practical cooperation at sea between Member States and on the role of Frontex. This public hearing also tried to highlight some possible ways to prevent these events from taking place again. The first session aimed to present the current situation from both a concrete and legal point of view. How are these situations dealt with on a daily basis? Which legal provisions are applicable to such cases? Are they interpreted in a uniform way?During the second session Frontex was asked to play an increasing role at the EU external borders. What can it actually achieve? Can Frontex patrols in the Mediterranean solve part of the problem? It seems that the patrols in the Canary Islands are effective in preventing fatalities. What are Member States' positions on how to improve practical cooperation in the Mediterranean? What are the positions of the Northern African countries, which are also affected by these events?The final session aimed at responding to the question on how to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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