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Rome (APA) – The Austrian EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner believes that the EU’s approach in the area of migration is showing concrete results. “The arrivals of irregular migrants are decreasing: down 35 percent in one year. What we are doing is working, but it is not enough. We must combat illegal migration to regain people’s trust and avoid polarization on this issue,” Brunner said to the Milan daily newspaper “Corriere della Sera” on Monday.
“We are focusing on the final building blocks of the implementation of the asylum and migration pact, which will come into force in June. The pact is based on a balance of solidarity and responsibility: it will work if the states are willing to implement it. (…) In January, we will present the new five-year EU migration strategy. We will also discuss a new role for Frontex,” said Brunner, who participated in the meeting with the interior ministers of the so-called Med5 – Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta – on Saturday in Valletta.
“Europe needs to engage in more migration diplomacy”
“Brussels’ solidarity instrument provides for relocations, financial support, and other concrete measures, including operational support from our European agencies. (…) A member state only receives solidarity if it adheres to the responsibility part of the pact, meaning it applies the Dublin rules. The pact will come into force in mid-2026, and each year we will assess who is under what pressure and whether the rules are being followed,” Brunner explained. At the same time, Europe needs to engage in more migration diplomacy.
According to Brunner, the system for deporting illegal migrants in Europe must function more efficiently. “Only one in five people who are illegally in the EU and already have a return order is actually deported – that is unacceptable. The return regulation is intended to make the procedures more effective. There is an overall shift in migration policy. During the Syria crisis, Europe took on a lot of responsibility, but the problem was that we did not have a functioning system. We had no control. Now we want to regain control. The pact was missing some building blocks, which we have supplemented with the return regulation, the concept of safe third countries, and the EU list of safe countries of origin,” emphasized the EU Commissioner.
Brunner praised the migration policy of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “Meloni has a very pragmatic approach: she wants clear rules, and I fully agree with that. We must be fair, but also find innovative solutions so that the overall system works,” argued Brunner. (1.12.2025)