Jordan, EU establish framework for future Mobility Partnership

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström and the ministers responsible for migration from the 12 concerned EU member states on Thursday signed a joint declaration in Luxembourg, establishing a framework for future cooperation in the field of migration and mobility.

The signing of the declaration is considered a milestone for Jordanian-European relations, especially as Jordan attained advanced status with the EU in 2010, and in light of the “distinguished partnership between Jordan and the EU, and His Majesty King Abdullah’s efforts at the regional and international levels”, according to officials from both sides.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Judeh as highlighting the Kingdom’s continued efforts to secure regional peace and to fight terrorism, noting that despite the difficult surrounding conditions, Jordan has remained an oasis of stability and security and a haven for those who need a refuge.

Italy's Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, described Jordan as a strategic and credible partner, underlining the Kingdom’s efforts in receiving Syrian refugees.

 Malmström said: “This is a significant step towards greater cooperation between the EU, its member states and Jordan, and our partnership aims to bring European and Jordanian citizens closer,” according to an EU Commission statement. 

“The EU and Jordan will step up efforts to better prevent human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants while at the same time paving the way for the start of negotiations on an agreement to facilitate the procedures for the issuing of Schengen visas to citizens of Jordan,” she noted.

“The partnership will also support Jordan's remarkable efforts in providing stability and refuge in the region," she added. 

Through this partnership the EU and Jordan agree to ensure that the movement of persons is managed as effectively as possible, allowing for concrete actions to further improve the situation in the way migration, asylum and borders are dealt with, the commission’s statement said.

A key feature of the partnership is strengthening efforts to derive all potential benefits from migration and linking them to development.

Measures should also be taken to improve the information available to qualified Jordanian citizens on employment, education and training opportunities available in the EU, and also to make mutual recognition of professional and university qualifications easier.

Besides opening negotiations on an agreement for the readmission of irregular migrants, the EU and Jordan will begin negotiations on an agreement to facilitate visa-issuing procedures.

The partnership should also help Jordan in further improving its capacity to deal with people in need of international protection and the actions that will be undertaken to implement it will build on or align with actions planned under the recently launched EU Regional Development and Protection Programme for the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq).

The EU and Jordan began a dialogue on migration, mobility and security in December 2012 and negotiations on the political declaration for the EU-Jordan Mobility Partnership were finalised in June.