EU home affairs ministers to discuss future of Schengen and reform of migration and asylum policy 

The EU home affairs ministers will hold an informal videoconference hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU on 28 January. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo (discussion on migration) and State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen. The ministers will discuss the future of the Schengen area and the reform of the EU's migration and asylum policy. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting. 

In May 2021, the European Commission will adopt a new strategy on the future of Schengen. Finland is actively involved in the comprehensive development of the Schengen system and supports the strengthening of the Schengen area. It is important to safeguard the principle of free movement in the Schengen area.

The ministers will continue the discussion on the reform of migration and asylum policy. This time, they will focus on cooperation with non-EU countries in the field of migration and the question of solidarity in the reform of the asylum system, i.e. what kind of support measures Member States consider appropriate from the point of view of both the Member State providing support and the Member State benefiting from it.

In addition, the home affairs ministers will discuss the future of Europol, the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, on the basis of the Commission’s proposal presented in December to amend the Europol Regulation. Finland supports the review of the Regulation and considers that the Regulation should be developed in order to reinforce Europol's possibilities to support the competent authorities of the Member States.

Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, [email protected] 
Olli-Poika Parviainen, State Secretary, tel. +358 50 477 85 20, [email protected]