Léon Gloden at the European Union’s “Justice and Home Affairs” Council

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Léon Gloden, participated in the meeting of the Council of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) of the European Union, held on 10 October 2024 in Luxembourg.

At the Schengen Council, ministers discussed the Schengen barometer and the priority of the annual cycle on the protection of external borders from the angle of digitization of procedures. Minister Gloden emphasized that open borders within the Schengen area are essential. “Every day more than 225,000 cross-border workers come to work in Luxembourg and our economies”. He recalled that there must be an appropriate and serious assessment of the need and proportionality of these controls, which should prevent their extension. The minister welcomed the establishment of the migration and asylum agreement which is a step forward and he also raised the need to consider the abuse of liberal visa regimes.

Within the framework of the Schengen Council, ministers then addressed interoperability with the introduction of the entry and exit system at the external borders as well as the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area.

During the public session intended to regulate legislative files, ministers noted the latest developments in the proposed regulation for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

Ministers had an informal exchange over lunch on the future of the return policy. The views of ministers largely converge on the strengthening of legislative and operational tools to improve the rate of return. Minister Gloden supports innovative solutions that respect our rights and values. “The return of individuals who have committed serious crimes or are a security risk must be a priority, even if these individuals come from sensitive countries.” He said “while our efforts will be based on individual trials and non-refoulement, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration are the best actors to help us find viable routes.

After lunch the ministers discussed the impact of external conflict on the European Union. Good analytical ability and crisis management system were emphasized. At the end of the day, Commissioner Johansson detailed the progress regarding the implementation of the Agreement on Migration and Asylum.

On the sidelines of the Schengen Council, the minister spoke to his German counterpart, Nancy Faeser, to look at the internal border controls that are in place with Luxembourg since September 16. He also met with his new French counterpart Bruno Retailleau to discuss cooperation on organized crime.

Communicated by: Ministry of the Interior