Brussels, Jan. 28, (dpa/GNA) – The European Union’s home affairs commissioner has called for an objective discussion on migration among EU states, rather than the sometimes “poisonous” debate on the topic.
“Migration is normal. The debate can sometimes be poisonous. We have a responsibility as politicians to draw that poison out,” Ylva Johansson told dpa.
The EU is holding a video conference on Thursday on asylum reform. Johansson put forward a new proposal on the topic in September.
The EU’s asylum reform has been blocked for years. Johansson pointed to the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of then-president Donald Trump on January 6 as an example of what can happen without reasonable discussion.
That must not be allowed to happen when it comes to discussions on European migration, she said.
“We all saw the events in Washington DC. That’s what happens when poison is allowed to fester. We can’t let that happen here.”
She added that she is happy there are “reasonable pragmatic voices around the table” among the EU’s interior ministers.
GNA