The latest tragedy off the coast of Cyprus underlines once more the need for long term and sustainable solutions when it comes to migration, European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told the Cyprus News Agency.
Hipper, responding to a question during the Commission’s midday briefing, also referred to efforts made through the Action Plan for the Eastern Mediterranean migration route, as well as through outreach to third countries, but pointed out that member states are the ones that investigate the exact circumstances of such events.
‘This tragedy is unfortunately underlining once more the need to have long term sustainable solutions, ensure that lives are saved, that people are not dying on dangerous journeys’ Hipper said.
‘That is why the Commission has put forward the Pact, but this is why at the same time on the operational side we are putting forward action plans on all the routes’, she added referring to the new Pact for Asylum and Migration, as well as to the Action Plan for the Eastern Mediter
ranean.
‘At the same time we are working, in terms of outreaching to the countries of origin and transit to ensure that lives are not lost at sea’ the spokesperson continued.
‘On this specific case and tragedy, we are in contact with the authorities for more, but as you know the member states are in charge of investigating the exact circumstances’ she concluded.
Source: Cyprus News Agency