Interior Minister Ohisalo to go to Malta for talks on situation of asylum seekers in Mediterranean region
On 23 September, Finland’s Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will attend a meeting convened by her Maltese counterpart to discuss the situation in the Mediterranean.
Germany, France, Malta and Italy have been striving to find a temporary solution to sharing the burden in the EU for receiving asylum seekers rescued in the Mediterranean. The four countries will meet in Malta to agree on a common approach based on preparatory work done during the summer. As the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Finland will attend the meeting in the capacity of an observer.
"My aim is to obtain a comprehensive overview of the migration situation in the Mediterranean region and, in particular, of the direction this temporary mechanism is heading. To this end, I will also meet with senior officials of EASO, the European Asylum Support Office located in Malta," Interior Minister Ohisalo said.
The Presidency’s priority is to find a sustainable solution to reforming the Common European Asylum System and making it viable. In the meantime, however, it has proved necessary to seek temporary arrangements for emergency disembarkations.
Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, [email protected]
Sami Kerman, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. + 358 50 477 8348, [email protected]