Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovič has urged the European Union to ramp up its migrant return policy, saying it needs an “effective forced return system”.
Kondratovič said on Tuesday the bloc should adopt a Return Regulation to ensure faster and more efficient returns and to reduce abuse of the system.
"Voluntary return must be the priority, but an effective forced return system is also necessary – it often encourages voluntary decisions. Our country’s experience confirms this,” he said in a press release.
Kondratovič is in Copenhagen for the second ministerial meeting of the European Ports Alliance, an initiative to fight drug trafficking, and an informal gathering of EU interior ministers hosted by Denmark, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
Ministers are discussing the fight against organised crime, particularly the illicit drug trade, the implementation of “innovative migration management solutions”, ways to improve the effectiveness of the EU’s return policy, as well as civil preparedness, resilience and crisis prevention.
“A culture of resilience must become a social norm. It is necessary not only to inform the public, but also to enable every member of the public to be prepared. That is the only way to achieve lasting results. Preparedness is costly, but the cost of being unprepared may be even higher,” Kondratovič said.
The Lithuanian interior minister also stressed the need to deepen structural dialogue between the EU and NATO, particularly in the areas of military mobility and responses to hybrid and cyber threats.
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