The plenary meeting focused on: “The challenges of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean“. 29 Parliaments were present. The key concepts recalled were: shared management of the migration phenomenon and therefore greater cooperation and solidarity among the countries involved; addressing the root causes of migration, hence the need to provide young people with adequate training; the fight against traffickers and the importance of rescues at sea; the impact of migrants and refugees on host societies; awareness of the impact of migration on the countries of the southern shore, which from transit countries have become countries of arrival; and the Palestinian refugees who have been living outside their country for seventy years. The debate was introduced by the reports by the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel (Egypt), by Sophie Maghenis from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and by Manfred Profazi from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Before the debate, the recommendations adopted by the Standing Committees were approved by consensus: Political Committee: “Migration and Status of Refugees in the Mediterranean“; Economic Committee: “The social and economic impact of new technologies on the Euro-Mediterranean Region“; Culture Committee: “Youth in the Euro-Mediterranean Area: The Issue of Community Engagement and Virtual Space Interactions“; Women’s Rights Committee: “The role of women in facing security challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region: terrorism and illegal immigration“.

The presidency was subsequently handed over to the Turkish Parliament that will preside over the Assembly until spring 2020.