In a letter dated from 15 May 2024, a group of 15 EU countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, issued a joint call to "think out of the box" to counter irregular migration to Europe.

They write inter alia: "The EU and its Member States should enhance their contribution to equal, constructive and broad partnerships with key countries, especially along the migratory routes, by changing our focus from managing irregular migration in Europe to supporting refugees as well as host communities in regions of origin".

The signatories call on the EU to explore solutions aimed at "rescuing migrants on the high seas and bringing them to a predetermined place of safety in a partner country outside the EU." They also want to look into "potential cooperation with third countries on return hub mechanisms, where returnees could be transferred to while awaiting their final removal".

The 15 countries say that "it is important that Member States have the possibility to transfer those asylum applicants for whom a safe third country alternative is available to such countries", and therefore ask to reassess the application of the concept of ‘safe third countries’ in EU asylum law. In this regard, they want to reevaluate the "connection criteria" during the planned review of the safe third-country concept in 2025.

The signatories note that "all new measures must be implemented in full compliance with our international legal obligations, including the principle of non-refoulement, as well as the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and applicable EU law".

The Commission said it would carefully analyse the letter, which it described as "complex" and "comprehensive," and stressed the focus in the coming years would be on the implementation of the agreed-upon reform.

For further information, please read the joint letter here.