EU countries not enforcing migration pact could face legal action, says Johansson

euronews (in English)

EU countries failing to implement the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, narrowly endorsed by the European Parliament on Wednesday, could face legal action, the bloc's home affairs chief has warned.

Transcript

00:00The EU Home Affairs Chief has issued a warning to member states.

00:04Julva Johansson says those who fail to enforce the new pact on migration and asylum could

00:10face legal action.

00:12Johansson spoke with Euronews following the European Parliament's migration policy reform

00:17vote.

00:18All member states have to implement it and to apply and if not, the Commission will of

00:23course act and use, if necessary, infringement.

00:26But I must say that I'm pretty convinced that member states will implement the pact

00:31now quite quickly.

00:32They seem to be quite eager to do the implementation and I'm convinced that they will also apply

00:37it.

00:39Johansson says she's confident Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will abide by the rules.

00:45He's voiced firm opposition to the pact.

00:48And Johansson rejects claims the new rules will drive human rights violations.

00:53It's very, very clear in the legislation that we're actually strengthening the protection

00:58of the fundamental rights of the asylum seekers, the right to apply for asylum and specific

01:03safeguards for the vulnerable ones.

01:05So this is a very strong legislation.

01:08And I think it's also important to remember that we have a strong support from the UN

01:12High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, Philippe Grundy, and he was also out yesterday strongly

01:19welcoming the pact.

01:21The commissioner describes cooperation with Libya as difficult.

01:25Its coast guard is financed by the EU.

01:29It has a track record of rights violations.

01:32They are also the ones who have to do the search and rescue.

01:34But then we are criticizing what happened with people afterwards, because in these centers

01:40that they're usually being brought to, we know that their conditions are very dire,

01:45I should say unacceptable.

01:47And that's why we are calling on the Libyans to change this and to close these centers

01:52and to stop this arbitrary detention of migrants in these centers.

01:58Euronews will broadcast the entire interview with Europe's Home Affairs Commissioner over

02:02the weekend on the magazine program Global Conversation.

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