EU leaders seek new laws to speed up migrant returns

European Union leaders have called for the speeding up of deportations of failed asylum seekers following a long debate on migration during a summit in Brussels.

In a statement, at the conclusion of the meeting, leaders urged "determined action at all levels to facilitate, increase and speed up returns [of failed asylum seekers] from the European Union."

The statement called on the European Commission to bring forward new legislation "as a matter of urgency."

An earlier EU Returns Directive has been stalled in the European Parliament for six years.

Leaders also called for "enhanced cooperation" with countries from which migrants leave for the EU and those through which they transit.

They said that "mutually beneficial partnerships" could help address the root causes of migration and help crack down on people smuggling.

The EU has an agreement with Tunisia, whereby the country's coastguard limits the departure of boats into the Mediterranean Sea for migration purposes in exchange for financial support.

Italy has a bilateral arrangement with Albania. In this case, male migrants picked up at sea have their asylum applications processed in one of two secure camps on Albanian soil.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have sharply criticised both agreements, claiming they are designed to keep the migration issue out of sight and that - in the Tunisian case - there have been grievous human rights abuses of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trapped in Tunisia.

EU leaders expressed solidarity with Poland, which recently announced that it would refuse asylum claims from migrants crossing from Belarus, on the basis that the Belarussian government was "weaponising" the migration issue in order to sow divisions in Europe.

Poland's unilateral decision not to assess asylum claims has been criticised by some member states and by NGOs.

The statement said the leaders express "solidarity with Poland and with member states facing these challenges.

"Exceptional situations require appropriate measures," it added.

Leaders supported the suggestion by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that elements of the EU Migration Pact be brought forward.

In a statement, Taoiseach Simon Harris said: "The European borders and how the European Union operates in relation to migration has a direct impact obviously on migration in Ireland.

"That is why the Pact is essential and why Ireland is moving to introduce legislation as soon as possible."