European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva JOHANSSON opens the debate amongst the MEPs on preventing security threats by combating illegal migration and effective return. In the wake of a stabbing attack in Solingen, Germany, on MEPs discuss how to address the unauthorised movements of third country nationals within the EU. The plenary debate follows the German government’s announcement that reintroduces border controls on all its land borders for an initial six-month period. This internal security decision is intended to improve the detection of unauthorised attempts by third country nationals to enter Germany.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

migration control

terrorism

extremism

TOBÉ, Tomas (EPP, SE)

WEIMERS, Charlie (ECR, SE)

BRICMONT, Saskia (Greens/EFA, BE)

OETJEN, Jan-Christoph (Renew, DE)

JOHANSSON, Ylva (SE, EC)

new pact on asylum and migration (T)

ECKE, Matthias (S&D, DE)

BARTŮŠEK,	Nikola (Patriots, CZ)

Need to prevent security threats like the Solingen attack through addressing illegal migration and effective return: extracts from the debate

External view of the European Parliament in Strasbourg

Soundbite (English) Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs - August 23rd. Two men and one woman lost their lives. Eight people were gravely injured. At a festival installing and celebrating the city's history in a festival of diversity with music and laughter. The news shocked me. Shocked all of us. A barbaric attack turned a joyful summer evening into a tragedy. Today, I express again my solidarity with the victims and their loved ones with long in and with Germany. And I condemn this act of terror. We live in an area of free movement. We share a responsibility to keep each other safe in the Schengen area. And then it hurts when people lose their lives like this. We stepped up to fight against terror. We put forward the first EU counter-terrorism agenda in 15 years.

Soundbite (English) Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs The Member States are increasingly using the terrorist content online regulation to take down terrorist propaganda. It's clear the fight against terror remains a major challenge for Europe. In the EU, we still need to do more to protect us from the security threats. Terrorists, but also criminals and Russian infiltrators.

Soundbite (English) Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs We, united as the European Union, have put in place the Pact on migration and asylum to manage migration, protect external borders and to protect people. Already now, all our efforts stepping up on returns are bearing fruits, with effective returns increased by 32%. And with the new pact, we will have still better results.

Soundbite (English) Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs We will support member States to act as swiftly as possible, implement the pact as fast as possible, only with the whole pact in place. We will have the control we need. On who enters the EU and stop potential security threats.

Soundbite (English) TOB&Eacute;, Tomas (EPP- SV) If you don't have the right to be in Europe, you should not be in Europe. The adoption of the migration pact is a crucial step forward towards a more controlled migration policy. The group therefore fully supports the clear commitments in the political guidelines for the next Commission to put forward a new common approach on returns. To speed up and simplify the process.

Soundbite (German) Matthias ECKE, (S&amp;D, DE) Some of you always blame migrants for everything, but then you hide away when you're asked about solutions because you don't want any solutions. You stir up hate and you divide our countries. We want a migration policy that works, one that welcomes the workers we need as part of the shortage and one that is, and one where there is no need for controls at the borders, controls at the internal borders where we have Schengen.

Soundbite (English) Nikola BARTŮ&Scaron;EK (Pfe - CZ) Unfortunately, the new migration and asylum package from April will keep this broken system going, encouraging migration without real consequences for breaking the rules. It's time to come together and protect our continent. We need stronger border control and return policy that proves Europe is serious and strong.

Soundbite (Swedish) Charlie WEIMERS (ECR-SV) Responsibility to make sure that we can protect our citizens. We need to turn this trend around. We have to shoulder that responsibility. These are our citizens. These mothers and fathers, children. And they deserve our protection.

Soundbite (German) Jan-Christoph OETJEN (Renew-DE) We've got the screening process to establish who these people are. We have external border procedures. Our task is to ensure that the European Asylum Migration Pact now be properly implemented in practice by member states. And that's something which isn't the case. So in Germany, border checks are being carried out. More than 30,000 people have been prevented from travelling to Germany illegally.

Soundbite (French) Saskia BRICMONT (Green-FR) It's up to each member state to assure that it can protect the victims and that it has the resources in the police services and in the judicial systems it has. Unfortunately, these systems sometimes have problems, but it's it's better to use them than to make immigrants into scapegoats.