050 CDS 12 E - THE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN: NEW TRENDS AND CHALLENGES

The substantial increase of refugees and irregular migrants fleeing from turmoil in the MENA region in the first half of 2011 presented a serious challenge to Euro-Mediterranean nations, and brought up legitimate questions about fair burden-sharing and Europe’s solidarity in the face of a crisis. However, the most alarmist predictions did not come true: by working together, European nations do have a capacity to deal with such crises in the future.

The Rapporteur recognizes that international migration has many benefits and it contributes decisively to the economic growth of our countries. However, the organisation of immigration must take account of Europe's reception capacity. The human rights dimension should become more prominent: stricter security measures must be accompanied by the introduction of safeguards that prevent the abuse of these rights.

It is not within NATO’s mandate to deal with questions of migration and the problems of refugees. Nevertheless, there are several areas where NATO can make a tangible contribution, especially by making full use of NATO Mediterranean Dialogue programmes. NATO’s assets deployed in the Mediterranean are obliged by the international law to assist people in distress at sea: in recent years these assets rescued over 600 migrants.

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