Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to our College read-out.
Today, the College adopted a Communication on countering hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration and strengthening security at the EU’s external border.
I will be presenting this point to you in a moment.
The Spokesperson’s Service is publishing a press release as we speak, where you will find further details.
Furthermore, we had an orientation debate on EU-US relations. This was the occasion to underline once again the importance of this partnership, which unites 800 million people.
We will continue working on a transatlantic parentship that delivers for our citizens and businesses.
With that, let me move to the main topic of this press conference.
Europe must show solidarity with the Member States affected by hybrid threats resulting from weaponisation of migration and strengthening security at the EU’s external borders. We will provide the necessary support to tackle the challenges.
The Communication is a follow up to the October 2024 European Council where leaders expressed solidarity with Poland and the other Member States faced with these challenges.
Following Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the practice of instrumentalising and weaponising migration started in 2021 and has continued at the borders with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland.
But what we are seeing today is of an exceptional nature: we have a persistent and serious situation at the Eastern border, with a significant rise in illegal arrivals, particularly at the Polish-Belarus border—up by 66% from last year.
Russian authorities are facilitating these illegal movements, with more than 90% of migrants illegally crossing the Polish-Belarusian border with a Russian student or tourist visa. And the authorities are equipping migrants with devices, using violence against border guards. We have moved to the next level of threat. This is why we are speaking about weaponisation of migration.
With today’s Communication we are sending a clear signal of support to the affected Member States.
On the legal side, Member States have a responsibility to protect the external borders. In view of the unprecedented nature of the situation at the external Eastern borders today, they may adopt exceptional measures to defend the external borders. These measures need to be truly exceptional, temporary, proportionate and for clearly defined cases. And they need to be always compliant with international and Union law.
On the operational side, we have our agencies, Frontex, EU Asylum Agency and Europol present at the EU’s Eastern land borders and they are ready to step up. And we are making available today an additional 150 million from the Border Management and Visa Instrument fund. These funds will increase the border surveillance capabilities of affected Member States.
They will be able to upgrade electronic surveillance equipment, improve telecommunication networks, deploy mobile detection equipment or counter drone intrusions.
We are also sending a clear signal that rights of the people concerned, often in a vulnerable situation, must always be respected. And the implementation of the Pact, including on instrumentalisation, remains a priority.
Finally, I want to stress: an attack against one Member State is an attack against the entire Union. And Russia and Belarus are constantly changing their tactics, targeting today one country, tomorrow another one. It’s crucial that Member States act together, inform each other, share situational awareness and consult the Commission when taking exceptional measures to counter hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus.