World

Brussels (Belgium), June 25: Solidarity between all member states of the European Union (EU) should be the priority when addressing migration and asylum in the bloc, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the European Parliament's plenary session here on Thursday.
"It would be very important, in my opinion, to have a European migration policy managing solidarity by all European countries," he said.
Citing his experience as former prime minister of Portugal and UN high commissioner for refugees, Guterres said that no country alone can address this challenge.
He called for increased cooperation between the countries of origin, transit and destination, to create "regular, safe and orderly pathways for migration."
In 2015, the EU faced an unprecedented migration crisis resulting from conflicts in northern Africa and the Middle East.
Countries at the doors of Europe, such as Italy, Greece and Spain, had to cope with an influx of migrants they were not prepared to manage.
Since then, countless migrants have tried to cross the Mediterranean but lost their lives at sea.
Between January and May 2021, the EU registered 32,622 irregular arrivals, according to official figures. Tunisia, Algeria, Bangladesh and Syria were among the top countries of origin.
The European Commission has proposed a new comprehensive Pact on Migration and Asylum in September 2020, which sets out improved and faster procedures throughout the asylum and migration system, while keeping in balance the principles of fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity.
Source: Xinhua