More than 30 European countries, including Sweden, Denmark and Norway, signed a joint declaration against ‘illegal migration’ on Monday during a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
The declaration, signed by 33 different countries, includes an agreement to combat human trafficking, secure solid national and international frameworks, speed up the return of migrants to their home countries, manage migration in the early stages and combat exploitation.
According to the declaration, leaders of the countries agreed on “how to best prepare and coordinate measures” to avoid a similar situation to the 2015 refugee crisis.
Countries like Germany, France, the UK, Finland, and Italy signed the agreement. Spain, which traditionally has a more positive view of migration, was not part of the declaration.
The countries also agreed in the declaration to work together when it comes to surveillance, security and returns, as well as humanitarian aid with the UN’s refugee organization UNHCR.
