EU Commission President Ursula von Leyen says the Italian policy of processing migrants offshore in Albania will be implemented ahead of an EU summit focusing on migration.
She made the remarks in a letter to member states ahead of the meeting in Brussels on Thursday (today) and Friday, stating that the European Commission would present a new proposal for legislation to increase deportations of migrants.
Von der Leyen appears to be responding to pressure on migration from across Europe.
In her letter to member states, she said the return rate of irregular migrants from EU countries is currently only about 20% – meaning the vast majority of people who are ordered to leave an EU member state do not.
She urged Member states to recognise the decisions taken by other EU countries to ensure that migrants who have a return decision against them in one country cannot exploit cracks in the system to avoid return elsewhere.
Von der Leyen comments come as Italy kicks off its long-awaited scheme, under which some of the migrants rescued in the Mediterranean will be sent to Albania for processing.
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