The four European Union countries on the front line for migration - Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta - sent a joint memorandum on Wednesday, outlining their positions regarding the bloc’s new pact on migration and asylum.
The memorandum which was signed by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, was sent to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The four PM's underlined that the rules must be clear, not only in terms of the responsibilities of the countries of first entry, but also in terms of the rules for solidarity between member states, so that responsibility is shared.
They also stressed that border control procedures should not lead to the creation of large closed centres, while stressing the external aspects of migration, both in terms of relations with the countries of the southern neighbourhood and in terms of an effective system of returns.
