European People’s Party (EPP) MEP Javier Zarzalejos chairs the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, from which he oversees rules such as the Migration and Asylum Pact, which will come into force in June, or the Return Regulation, approved by the European Parliament at the end of March. In addition to Europe’s migration policy, the parliamentarian – who is also director of the FAES Foundation – discusses with La Vanguardia other issues such as the need to protect minors in the digital world, including the regulation of influencers; or the change of government in Hungary.
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The EPP, together with the far right, has approved the Return Regulation, which includes the establishment of migrant deportation centers to countries outside the European Union. Is Europe outsourcing migration management?
No. The Regulation gives us the idea that this is a European issue. It is a challenge that Europe must take on and it must do so by ensuring the capacity to manage our borders and the set of guarantees that must accompany any person, which are present in this regulation. Also regarding deportation centers, which will have a relative importance among the set of tools for immigration management.
Deportation centers to third countries will have relative importance
Javier Zarzalejos
Several humanitarian organizations warn that the Regulation could replicate methods applied by ICE in the United States. What is your opinion on this?
This idea of a European ICE could not be further from our goals. It is not a way to manage immigration and, certainly, the EU and the EPP, which leads this update of the legal framework in Europe, would never be in those positions. There is a fundamental framework of rights that will be respected. All measures that imply greater coercion on people undergoing a return procedure will be established with standards of respect for freedoms and guarantees that, of course, have nothing to do with experiences in other countries.
Does Europe need immigration?
Yes, projections on labor needs indicate so. Europe is not a continent resistant to immigration. Take the case of Spain: almost 20% of the resident population is not of Spanish origin. We can also talk about Germany, France, or Italy. Essential sectors of our economy depend on immigration. It is not about whether they come or not, but how.
Are these legal entry routes included in the Migration and Asylum Pact?
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They are included insofar as we want to facilitate those routes. But progress must be made at the national level. And it is not a resolved issue. The European Union has very limited competences. But those who say, and I am among them, that we must improve the legal entry routes are right.
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You are the rapporteur for the directive to protect minors in the digital environment. What content should be regulated?
Sexual abuse content of minors on the internet is especially reprehensible. We must fight to prevent it and avoid its dissemination. Unfortunately, pedophiles feed their communication circles with images corresponding to real-world assaults. On the other hand, unrestricted access to all kinds of content is producing devastating effects on their education, mental health, and ability to relate… Pornographic sites, certain games where we know pedophiles want to enter, and websites aimed at minors must be monitored and legally addressed.
Should access to social networks be prohibited for minors under 16?
There are age levels at which the prohibition should be absolute. Regarding other age ranges, opinions are more divided. Some consider the prohibition excessive, which is also technically difficult to implement, and that an effective age verification system is needed, not just simply saying “yes, I am over 18.”
Influencers put a face and eyes on the addictive design of social networks
Javier Zarzalejos
Should influencers be regulated?
Look, when we talk about social networks we always talk about addictive design. Influencers play a very important role here because they put a face and eyes on that form of addiction. It is necessary to know what we are talking about. You cannot say with impunity that you must follow this diet or undergo this treatment without authorization. It must be defined, because many recipients believe it and do it, and that starts to generate serious problems of depression, anxiety, lack of acceptance of one’s own identity…
How do you assess Viktor Orbán’s defeat in Hungary from a European perspective?
It is very good news. Orbán has sabotaged those initiatives that are truly existential for the Union. The EU recovers a very important asset now that we have an eastern front full of challenges. It should also make reflect all those who understand that the European Union is something like an ATM from which one should only expect funds with nothing in return. The European Union is a great alliance of democratic states, a community of law, and a community of citizens protected by fundamental rights. Therefore, all these values must be respected in Hungary and throughout the Union’s territory.
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