Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. 5th annual report on immigration and asylum (2013)

The year 2013 saw a much more significant increase in the number of asylum applications than had been witnessed for several years. There was also a sharp increase in the number of cases of persons detected crossing borders irregularly compared to 2012. This showed the need to take action at EU level to support Member States tackle the challenges of responding to migratory pressures, in full respect of migrants' fundamental rights. The tragic events on 3 October off the Italian island of Lampedusa, when a boat with over 500 migrants on board sank, and more than 360 persons died, marked a tragic milestone in the debate on migration and asylum in the European region. This was not an isolated incident. 40,000 persons are estimated to have arrived to Europe in 2013 via maritime routes, and of those, at least 600 are thought to have lost their lives in the attempt of reaching the EU's shores.

A Task Force Mediterranean (TFM) was set up to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent further losses of lives in the Mediterranean, and to identify priority actions for a more efficient short term use of European policies and tools, based on the principles of prevention, protection and solidarity. The TFM defined a wide range of measures for the whole Mediterranean area, set out in a Communication adopted by the Commission on 4 December 2013. These include cooperation with third countries, enhancement of legal channels for migration, a clear commitment on resettlement, further steps to tackle trafficking in human beings and human smuggling and the reinforcement of border surveillance. The Communication stressed the need to provide operational support to Member States under pressure. The December European Council welcomed the Communication and invited the Commission to report back on its implementation.

Along with the need to respond to crisis situations, the EU continued to be confronted with the challenge to ensure economic recovery and growth. Well-managed migration can contribute to boosting the economy, gaining access to needed skills and addressing labour market shortages.

This report summarises the Commission's assessment of EU level policy developments on immigration and asylum in 2013. It is complemented by a staff working document providing more information and statistics on developments at both EU and Member State levels, the latter collected by the European Migration Network.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)288: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:288:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2014)165: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying the communication http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2014:165:FIN

ESO: Background information: Website: Asylum, migration and borders (FRA) http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-asylum-migration-and-borders/

ESO: Background information: Website: EU Asylum Legislation and Policy http://www.europeansources.info/showDoc?ID=1137058

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