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European network of immigration liaison officers. Recast

2018/0153(COD)

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Cécile Kashetu KYENGE (S&D, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the creation of a European network of immigration liaison officers (recast).

The committee recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows.

Objectives

According to Members, the Regulation should aim to optimise the use of the different expertise of immigration liaison officers deployed in third countries by Member States, the Commission and EU agencies to implement more effectively the Union's priorities of:

 

  • ensure better management of migration,
  • gradually replace irregular migration with safe and legal migration or asylum pathways,
  • prevent and combat the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings,
  • facilitate effective and dignified returns, readmission and reintegration,
  • contribute to the integrated management of the Union's external borders,
  • support the management of legal immigration or international protection programmes in full compliance with humanitarian and human rights obligations.

Missions of Immigration Liaison Officers (ILO)

Information collected by ILOs shall include:

 

  • information on the age and gender of migrants and their future travel plans;
  • incidents and events that can be or become the cause of a new development or reconfiguration of migratory movements;
  • means of assisting the authorities of the third country (i) to provide adequate guidance and support at the external borders in view of monitoring migration flows; (ii) to provide adequate guidance and support to persons authorised to enter the Union by lawful means; (iii) to assess the general situation of fundamental rights in the third country, including information on localisation and conditions of both receptions and detention centre as well as the conditions of such detention;
  • the means to facilitate the dignified and human-rights compliant return, readmission and reintegration and where possible to monitor the situation of returning third-country nationals;
  • the measures adopted or put in place in favour of vulnerable persons;
  • legal immigration strategies to be promoted and existing channels or channels to be developed between the Union and third countries, including resettlement, humanitarian visas issued by Member States and other protection tools as well as mobility partnerships, labour migration, visas for students and family reunification.

Within the limits of their expertise and training, immigration liaison officers may provide assistance in this regard:

 

  • to confirm the identity of illegally staying third-country nationals in order to facilitate the reintegration of returning third-country nationals;
  • to facilitate the resettlement or the admission of persons, especially the most vulnerable, in need of or seeking international protection in the Union, by providing them with adequate pre-departure orientation, information and support;
  • to facilitate the implementation of Union measures to combat the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings by sharing information obtained in the course of their duties within networks of immigration liaison officers and with competent authorities of the Member States, including law enforcement authorities.

Immigration liaison officers shall carry out their tasks within the framework of their responsibilities determined by the deploying authorities, fully respecting human dignity and fundamental rights, with a particular focus on vulnerable persons.

The network of immigration liaison officers should include, where possible, immigration liaison officers specialising in the protection of children, trafficking in human beings, gender equality and protection against gender-based violence.

Immigration liaison officers shall follow a gender-sensitive approach when carrying out their tasks.

Steering Board

The Steering Board shall set priorities and define activities, adopting an annual work programme and indicating resources needed to support that work, which shall be forwarded to the European Parliament without undue delay. A Member of the European Parliament shall participate in the Steering Committee as an observer.

The Steering Board shall develop, in cooperation with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, clear guidelines applicable to all immigration liaison officers providing guidance on how to ensure respect for fundamental rights.

Data processing

Members proposed to prohibit any exchange of personal data that could be used to identify persons or groups of persons whose request for access to international protection is under examination or who are under a serious risk of being subjected to torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment or any other violation of fundamental rights.