Memo: Reinforcing the management of the Southern Maritime External Borders

The Commission has issued a Communication "Reinforcing the management of the Southern Maritime External Borders." This identifies practical solutions and seeks to respond to the need to reinforce the management of the southern maritime external borders and improve the capacity of the Community and its Member States to deal with critical situations, such as the mass influx of illegal immigrants. However, operational activities designed to fight illegal immigration, protect refugees, and ensure a uniform application of the Schengen acquis on external borders cannot stand alone: the Communication should therefore be read in the wider context of the global approach to migration, where all aspects related to migration management are included.