The diversity of views on how best to manage migration at European level could not be more evident. Two MEPs, Italian Cécile Kyenge and Belgian Helga Stevens, argued their respective positions during a public discussion organised by the European Parliament Office in Malta.

They were in Malta as part of a delegation of MEPs from the Parliament's Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs who were visiting the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).

MEP Kyenge, coming from the group of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), co-authored the European Parliament's position on migration set out in the recently adopted report together with Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola. During the event, she made an impassionate plea for Europe to stick to its values and fundamental principles by giving asylum to those in need facing war or persecution in their country of origin.

"We should not turn our back on people who are being exploited", she said. "When we look at our mobile phones, our clothes, and the food we eat, we should realise that people like us could have been abused of throughout the production process."

The Malta Office said that although, in general, politicians tend to agree on the long term goals when it comes to addressing the root causes of migration in the countries of origin, the same cannot be said on short and medium term measures to be taken.

MEP Stevens belongs to the group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the priorities for her are "the strengthening of our borders and a more restrictive approach to migration, allowing only for entry of those who are really in need."

"We cannot accept immigrants entering Europe and ending up dependant on national social security systems," she said. Stevens also argued that economic migrants should not be entitled to enter the EU and in a position to cherry pick where to establish themselves.

In the last months, the European Parliament had on its agenda a number of proposals addressing different aspects of migration. These include having a common list of safe countries of origin, which should help member states to process certain asylum applications faster and more consistently; plans to strengthen the EU's visa suspension mechanism; a new standard European travel document to speed the return of non-EU nationals staying "irregularly" and the creation of an EU border control system upgrading today's Frontex border agency to form a European Border and Coast Guard, together with national border management authorities.

All these aspects, as well as the current situation in Turkey and North Africa, featured during the lively debate. The discussion was moderated by Mark Micallef.

Permalink: Managing migration – MEPs highlight different political perspectives