Asked by: Stephen Phillips (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to work with other EU member states to reduce the number of deaths of immigrants illegally coming to the EU via the sea.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government continues to have regular discussions with our EU partners in
order to ensure that all Member States operate effective asylum and border
management systems, including through cooperation with countries of origin and
transit beyond the EU. This includes the UK's participation in the EU's Task
Force Mediterranean, established following the Lampedusa tragedy last year to
develop actions to prevent further deaths at sea.
The Task Force involves Member States, the European Commission, the European
External Action Service (EEAS) and key EU agencies (including Frontex, the
European Asylum Support Office and Europol). It has developed a series of
coherent actions, including cooperation with third countries and combating the
organised criminals who facilitate many of these dangerous sea crossings.
The Government strongly supports the Task Force proposal to develop information
campaigns in countries of origin and transit as part of wider prevention
efforts, and has shared our experience in this area with EU partners.