On 11 and 12 November 2015, the Valletta Summit took place in Malta, bringing together key global actors to discuss the challenges and opportunities of migration for countries of origin, transit and destination.
Luxembourg Prime Minister, Minister of State, Xavier Bettel and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Immigration and Asylum of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, were in attendance at the Summit. They joined Member States of the EU, countries of the Rabat and Khartoum processes, observers of the Rabat process, the European Parliament, representatives of the Commission of the Africa Union and the Commisison of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations (UN), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).
Presenting the conclusions of the two-day summit, President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, warned of "the huge pressure member states are facing [...] saving Schengen is a race against time", adding "we are determined to win that race".
Tusk continued by outlining projects to be launched, including those which will aim to enhance employment opportunities in regions of origin and transit of migrants in East, West and North Africa. He also pledged to facilitate returns, "preferably voluntary" and highlighted the European Trust Fund, launched in addition to to development assistance of Member States with an initial €1.8 billion to combat poverty and conflicts inciting migration to Europe.
In his speech, the Luxembourg Prime Minister cited the issue of migration between the continents of Europe and Africa as a huge challenge requiring sustainable solutions, stating that the "priority will be the fights against irregular migration which exists at the expense of human rights and only serves to enrich human trafficking networks".
Stating that development assistance plays a crucial role in the stabilisation process in Africa, Prime Minister Bettel claimed that "out of ten migrants, eight come from developing countries. This demonstrates the importance of addressing the root causes of migration and continuing the fight against poverty. Investing in people, especially young people, means investing in prevention and the future".
The Prime Minister claimed that Luxembourg would remain committed to a strong and determined action and would continue to mobilise 1% of its gross national income for its official development assistance.
For his part, Minister Asselborn expressed his hope, as President of the 'Justice and Home Affairs' (JHA) Council of the EU, that migration flow management represent "a reflection of our commitment to intensifying our cooperation and to strengthening our solidarity". The Minister futher reiterated the Union's commitment to enhancing control of external borders, and called for an effective and timely implementation of the EU relocation mechanism which was based on European responsibility and solidarity.
Minister Asselborn also confirmed that the EU would be committing to the establishent of additional legal migration channels, particularly for researchers and students. This was further substantiated by President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who outlined efforts that would see Europe "double the number of scholarships for students and researchers through the Erasmus place programme".
"The EU stands ready to support countries of origin and transit," stated Minister Asselborn. "It is only together that we can strive for organised management of migration flows".
In the sidelines of the Summit, Minister Asselborn signed, together with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, a common agenda on migration and mobility between the EU and Ethiopia.
Photo by MAEE/Nicolas Gierten (L-R: Luxembourg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel; Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Minister of Immigration and Asylum of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn)
