Finland for tightening EU border control

Interior Minister Kai Mykkänen on Thursday said the EU Member States should continue to reinforce the control on the bloc’s external borders and support resettlement, namely the reception of quota refugees.

Mykkänen made the remark on the eve of attending the meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg scheduled for Friday, said an official press release.

The meeting will discuss various issued including strengthening of European Border and Coast Guard, the Home Affairs Funds and reforming the Common European Asylum System.

“We must continue to reinforce control of the EU’s external borders. The primary responsibility for external border controls rests with the Member States but Frontex has a key role in supporting the control on the EU’s external borders and ensuring the functioning of the Schengen area. It is important for Finland that we find an effective and cost-efficient solution which takes account of the Member States’ and the Agency’s roles in external border controls, and the fact that the border sections under the responsibility of the Member States differ from each other,” said Mykkänen.

The EU ministers will also hold a policy debate on the Home Affairs Funds and the European Commission’s proposals on priorities of the next multiannual financial framework. They will discuss the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF), and the instrument for financial support for border management and visa.

“We should continue to support resettlement, namely the reception of quota refugees, with significant financial contributions through the Asylum and Migration Fund during the next programming period, too. It is important for Finland that resources from the Fund would be used to support not only resettlement within the EU but also national resettlement programmes,” said Mykkänen.

The EU home affairs ministers are expected to discuss the proposed regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard. Frontex is part of the European Border and Coast Guard. A key change in the proposal is a new corps of 10,000 staff with executive powers and their own equipment to be created for Frontex.

Other issues on the agenda are migration and the Common European Asylum System. The ministers will discuss, among other things, the EU’s return policy and reforms to the Return Directive.