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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on EU leaders to adopt tighter measures against what she described as the use of irregular migration as a weapon. In a letter sent ahead of the European Council summit scheduled for October 15-16, she proposed creating an emergency response framework to be activated when migration is instrumentalized against the bloc, according to a report by Politico.

Von der Leyen also argued that the powers of Frontex, the EU's border protection agency, should be expanded and that the Union's deportation rates need to rise. Referring to the crisis that unfolded in late July in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, she said such threats must be prevented and that the protection of the bloc's external borders must never be compromised. No state or non-state actor, she added, should be allowed to exploit EU rules or values in order to destabilize the Union.

The Commission president first announced on September 16 that she would propose a new European emergency response mechanism against the weaponization of irregular migration. She said the mechanism could be triggered under specific criteria, allowing standard procedures to be eased during emergencies.

Key Takeaways

• Von der Leyen proposed an EU emergency framework for cases where migration is used as a weapon against the bloc.
• She called for expanded Frontex powers and higher deportation rates across the Union.
• The proposal was outlined in a letter to leaders ahead of the October 15-16 EU summit.