ORGANISED crime, human trafficking, Jihad terrorism and mass migration are among the hot topics of conversation today (Monday) at the G6 Summit in Sevilla.
Hosted by its former mayor and current interior minister Juan Ignacio Zoido (pictured), the meeting will see him join his counterparts from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Poland in analysing and discussing common European Union policy on these four major global issues.
In a statement to the press at Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla, where the G6 Summit takes place today, Zoido revealed that the European Commissioners for Security and Migration, and the interior minister in Morocco, had been invited, especially given the 'significance' of the latter country 'in the battle against Jihad terrorism and in preventing the migratory pressure suffered by southern Europe'.
Zoido recalls that the current wave of migration to Europe is 'unprecedented' and calls for 'a series of legal mechanisms and adequate procedures' to help establish 'legal migration' and prevent immigrants from becoming victims or prisoners of mafia-style human-trafficking rackets.
The joint efforts of southern EU countries and bilateral policies involving African coastal nations bordering the Mediterranean and those in the Sahel, as well as procedures set up between Spain and Morocco, are 'giving very satisfactory results'.
As an example, Spain and Mauritania have managed to stop all 'irregular' migration from the latter country to the Canary Islands, and the Sahel countries – Sénégal, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso – which are currently 'coping with a massive current of migration', are cooperating closely with Europe to prevent Jihad terrorists from reaching the EU from central Africa.
Zoido stresses that cooperation with migration source countries, destination countries and transit nations is fundamental, since this is where 'processions of immigrants led and exploited by mafias' are most at risk.
The Summit will discuss the recent attacks in Barcelona, France and the UK and how border controls can help prevent terrorists from getting into the EU, says Zoido – despite the fact that the majority of these attacks were carried out by Jihad followers who were born in Europe or had been based there since early childhood.
The minister, when asked pointedly about the fact that the deadline for Spain to take in its promised 18,000 refugees expired in September, stressed that this 'did not mean' the government was 'unwilling' to take them.
“Just because the deadline has passed doesn't mean they can't still be taken in and resettled,” Zoido insisted.
“We're on stand-by waiting for them to be sent to us, and we've made this clear to all the international organisations managing the issue, as well as to France and Italy.”
