On the occasion of the Europe Gulf Forum and following up to their previous meeting in Agia Napa (Cyprus), the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Heads of Government of Greece, Italy and Malta underlined the need to prevent any possible migration crisis similar to that experienced in 2015.
To this end, the four Leaders agreed on the need to keep discussing along four main work strands:
– supporting efforts to improve security in the region;
– working together so that the involved populations in the region receive the necessary assistance and support;
– ensuring timely and full implementation of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum also with reference to the updated legal framework addressing situations of crisis, including instrumentalisation of migration, and force majeure, as well as hybrid threats; and
– reinforcing joint preparedness to ensure, in full respect of international law, the security and control of the European Union’s external borders also through possible uniform and coordinated initiatives.
Among the concrete options under scrutiny as EU Member States most immediately exposed to uncontrolled, illegal/irregular migration flows towards the European Union, is the strengthening of the cooperation with countries of origin and transit, the intensification of the fight against human traffickers and migrant smugglers, as well as the possible activation of the EU Regulation on crisis situations and force majeure. In order to continue working on maximising the effectiveness of national responses to a possible significant increase in migration flows linked to the conflict in the Middle East, the Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, will invite his counterparts from Cyprus, Greece and Malta to meet in Rome on 17th June 2026.
Finally, the four Leaders warmly welcomed the adoption by consensus on 15 May of the Chisinau Declaration on Migration on the occasion of 135th Session of the Committee of the Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Declaration fully recognises the significant and complex migration-related challenges, that Member States are currently facing and that need to be adequately addressed by the Convention system.
