On Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 November 2015, Luxembourg Prime Minister, Minister of State, Xavier Bettel, and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, will be in Malta to participate in the Migration Summit and the informal meeting of Heads of State or Government of the EU being held in Valletta.

The Migration Summit will take place on 11 and 12 November 2015 and will build on the process of cooperation between Europe and Africa, particularly the Rabat and Khartoum processes on migration, and on the Afro-EU dialogue on migration and mobility.

EU Member States, member countries of the Rabat and Khartoum processes, observers from the Rabat process, representatives of the Commission of the African Union and the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations (UN) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are all expected to be present at the summit.

The summit will focus on both the challenges and opportunities created by migration. It will also present the opportunity to discuss the shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination regarding this matter.

Discussions between participants will centre around five specific areas, these being addressing the root causes of the problem by bringing peace, stability and economic development; enhancing the work aimed at promoting and organising legal migration channels; strengthening the protection of migrants and refugees, particularly vulnerable groups; more effectively addressing the exploitation and trafficking of migrants; and closer collaboration in order to improve return and readmission cooperation.

The informal meeting of Heads of State or Government of the European Union will be chaired by President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, just after the Valletta Summit on 12 November 2015.

The main objective of the meeting will be to discuss the latest developments in the migration crisis and assess the implementation of the measures agreed upon in September and October. These include the deepening of cooperation with third party countries, including Turkey; decisions relating to relocation; the establishment of hotspots in Greece and Italy and the strengthening of Frontex and EASO agencies; and effectively strengthening the control of EU external borders.

 

Photo by eu2015lu (Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel)