“We are working to build an efficient return system that is firm but fair - one that fully upholds international law and respects human dignity," Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection, Nicolas Ioannides said on Thursday, referring to the negotiations that have begun between European institutions on shaping a new regulation that will establish common standards for the return of third-country nationals who do not have a legal right to remain in the European Union.
The deputy minister stressed that “it is essential to ensure that those who do not have a legal right to remain in the EU are effectively returned, and that return decisions are enforced in practice across the Union.”
Ioannides also referred to the need for a credible and effective return system, which “will include clear consequences for those who do not comply with return decisions and is expected to complement the overall asylum and migration management system we aim to achieve through the implementation of the Pact.”
Regarding discussions with the European Parliament, he noted that the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU will seek “a regulation that delivers on its purpose and helps reinforce trust in the European migration framework.”
Concluding, the Deputy Minister pointed out that “EU citizens expect us to deliver on our pledge for a functional return system. Therefore, our objective is clear: to reach a legally sound and enforceable agreement on the return regulation by the end of our Presidency.”
CNA