Home affairs ministers to discuss migrant smuggling and the situation of Ukrainian refugees

EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on Thursday 8 December for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will represent Finland at the meeting. The ministers will discuss topics including the overall state of the Schengen area and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Under Schengen, the home affairs ministers will exchange views on migrant smuggling, for example. Migrant smuggling is one of the EU’s most important priorities in crime prevention. It weakens the internal security of the EU and, consequently, the overall state of the Schengen area. Over 90 per cent of all irregular migrants entering the EU use services of smugglers. 

“Migrant smuggling is a common challenge for all Member States and partner countries. To tackle smuggling effectively, we need to adopt a comprehensive approach and work collaboratively. Migrants face a dangerous sea voyage, and every single life lost on such a journey is one too many,” says Minister Mikkonen.

In September 2021, the Commission published a new action plan against migrant smuggling, which combines international cooperation and coordination between Member States and relevant EU agencies. Improving cooperation with partner countries and international organisations is also a key element of the action plan. This year, new cooperation agreements against smuggling have been concluded with Niger and Morocco. 

The coming winter will increase movement of Ukrainian refugees both within the country and to the EU

As a result of Russia’s invasion, almost eight million Ukrainians have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries. In addition, it is estimated that the number of internally displaced persons is currently around 6.5 million.  Approximately 4 million applications for temporary protection have been registered in the EU area. Around one per cent of all applications submitted in the EU have been registered in Finland.

The ongoing fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine, the coming winter and Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure will further exacerbate the humanitarian situation in the country. This is likely to increase the movements of refugees both within the country and to the EU. 

Growing migration at the EU’s external borders has increased asylum applications in several Member States where the reception and accommodation capacity is already overburdened. There are problems in Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria, for example. Reception systems in the Baltic States are also overburdened.

“The coming winter will test the unity and solidarity of the EU Member States in many ways. Despite the current challenges, I hope and trust that we will continue to help people in distress, and especially Ukrainians, as much as we have to date,” says Mikkonen.

In October, the Council agreed to launch an internal security dialogue with Ukrainian authorities. The Commission will report on the progress and current state of the dialogue. The purpose of the exchange of information between the authorities is to take action in areas such as border security, illicit arms trafficking and foreign fighters.

More information:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 295 488 250, [email protected]
Tiina Kivinen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 566 19 22, [email protected] (requests for interviews with Minister Mikkonen)