Home affairs ministers to discuss development of external border control and impact of external conflicts on the EU

The EU home affairs ministers will gather in Luxembourg on 10 October for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. The ministers will discuss the impact of external conflicts on the EU and the development of the external border control, among other things. Minister of Transport, Communications and the Interior Lulu Ranne will represent Finland at the meeting.

The home affairs ministers will discuss the overall state of the Schengen area and the implementation of the priorities of the Schengen Council cycle 2024–2025. The discussion will focus on the priority related to increasing the resilience of the EU’s external borders. 

“Finland supports measures that aim to concretely improve and promote the functioning and security of the Schengen area in the changing security environment. We consider that the operational capacity and mandate of Frontex could be developed even further. It is important that EU Member States can flexibly have the Frontex standing corps assist them in different situations, such as during mass influx of migrants,” Minister Ranne says.

“Finland's eastern border is the longest external border of the EU and NATO with Russia, which makes it extremely important for the whole of Europe,” Minister continues.

Conflict in Middle East and situation in Ukraine on agenda

At their meeting, the ministers will exchange views on certain ongoing conflicts outside the EU and their implications for the EU. According to the EU’s terrorist threat assessment published every six months, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has increased the threat to the EU's internal security.

“The impact of conflicts outside the EU on Finland's national and internal security is being constantly assessed. We must be prepared for migration pressure on Europe, which may have an impact on our internal security. Finland is awake, and we are engaged in close cooperation to combat threats against Finland both internationally and nationally,” says Minister Ranne.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has lasted for two and a half years. Russia’s attack is targeting Ukraine, but it is also an attack against the security order of Europe as a whole.

“We will continue to support Ukraine politically, economically and militarily for as long as the situation so requires. The aim is also to provide Ukraine with more civilian material assistance as winter draws closer. To sum it up, Ukraine needs more than just guns, they need daily bread, too,” Minister Ranne says.

More effective EU return policy

The home affairs ministers will also continue to discuss ways to improve the effectiveness of the EU return policy. The aim is to focus on security aspects related to returns, the external dimension (cooperation with third countries) and the development of the relevant EU legislation.

Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, firstname.lastname@gov.fi