Metsola pushes for fair sharing of responsibility on migration with Commissioner-designate

During a meeting with the EU's Commissioner-Designate for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, Member of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola continued to push Malta's case forward, stating that MEPs will expect the new Commission to deliver on an equitable system of distribution, review the Dublin Regulation and push for a fairer sharing of responsibility when it comes to migration and asylum.

Metsola met with the European Commissioner-Designate during this week's European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. Together with the other designate commissioners presented by incoming Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Avramopoulos will be scrutinised by Members of the European Parliament in a series of hearings starting from 29 September.

Avramopoulos pledged cooperation and close contact with the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, of which DMetsola is a member and part of the Coordinating team of the European People's Party.

He said he understands the issues Malta and other Mediterranean States face in the field of migration and asylum.

The Commissioner-Designate and D Metsola also discussed the issue of Islamic State and the EU’s response to terrorism during the meeting. Metsola stated that she would back measures that address the issue of EU citizens who travel to conflict zones to fight with radical extremists before returning home to Europe to continue to spread hate.

Avramopoulos is the Vice-President of Greece’s ruling conservative Nea Dimokratia party and he has occupied the position of Minister of Defence in Greece since June 2013.