Following a meeting of EU ministers on Tuesday, Edgars Rinkevics, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia – the current President of the Council of the EU – announced that the ten-point plan presented by the European Commission on Monday provides a suitable basis for a comprehensive migration strategy.

The minister shared the opinion that there is a need for measures against human traffickers, for the reinforcement of current maritime security measures and for closer cooperation with non-EU countries.

First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans said that he thinks that the plan provides an answer to all the questions raised by the President of the Council, thus it is a sound basis for discussion by the Heads of State and Government. (On Monday 20 April, President of the European Council Donald Tusk convened an emergency summit for Thursday to discuss the migration crisis in the Mediterranean.)

“Let us stop beating about the bush. Member states must rise to the challenge of making decisions and taking measures that enable the European Union to react to the enormous task and human tragedy that is about to evolve in the Mediterranean through its Member States and institutions”, the former Foreign Minister of the Netherlands emphasised.

At the meeting of EU Ministers of Community Affairs, Hungary was represented by Minister of State for EU Affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office Szabolcs Takács. In a telephone interview following the discussions, he told journalists that the leaders of Europe must give a credible political answer to a problem with roots outside Europe, where hundreds of thousands of people have to leave their homes due to the situation which has developed there.

The Minister of State pointed out that processes should be supported which create political and economic stability and security. He emphasised that an element of this is Hungary’s participation in the military action against Islamic State.

Mr. Takács said he thought that a solution must be found that all 28 Member States can agree to, and partner states capable of cooperation should also be given a chance to speak up.

“It is very hard to identify those partners in Libya whose attitude to the rule of law seems to qualify them for cooperation with us. We must support all political forces in Libya which contribute to the stability of the country”, Mr. Takács said.

According to the Minister of State, the key to saving the lives of those setting sail to cross the Mediterranean is in actions taken against human traffickers. “We first of all have to prevent the launch of vessels which are likely to take their passengers to their deaths”, Mr. Takács explained, emphasising that the issue is a complex one, involving societal problems. He also stressed the need to find a solution to handling those people who do come ashore.

He pointed out that, although the focus now is on the migratory pressure on southern Member States from the Mediterranean, Hungary is also encountering this problem due to refugees arriving en masse through the Western Balkans.

Also discussed at the meeting was the issue of radicalisation, which Mr. Rinkevics said must be dealt with in a multi-dimensional manner.

Mr. Takács drew attention to the fact that the problem had come to the fore due to deadly acts of terror. He said that extremism is present in all Member States, in one form or another.

“This is a serious problem for the EU”, the Minister of State said, emphasising that the matter demands various approaches, but that joint institutions can be created to identify the causes of radicalisation and to prevent it. According to Mr. Takács it is also important to keep this topic on the agenda in the coming period.

At the press conference Mr. Timmermans explicitly declared that as far as radicalisation is concerned there is no room for complacency or tolerance in the EU. According to the Dutch politician, radicalisation can only be eliminated through the abolition of discrimination.

“We must make sure that within the EU no group is excluded from the European community”, he emphasised, adding that the existence, development and enrichment of the EU is only possible if everyone has a place in it. If certain groups are shut out – even if they are only small minorities – only suffering and disintegration will be the outcome, he warned.