Migration through the eyes of the EU Supreme Audit Institutions - challenges and opportunities

Goritsa Grancharova - Kozhareva: Due to the efforts of the Minister of Interior, the migration pressure for the period January-August 2024 is 71% less compared to the same period last year, which opened Bulgaria's doors to the Schengen area by air.

Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva, Acting President of the Bulgarian National Audit Office, took part in the annual meeting of the Heads of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union and the European Court of Auditors, which took place on 16-17 October 2024 in the Republic of Cyprus. The theme of the forum was migration, seen through the prism of the many challenges for the member states, but also as an opportunity to meet the needs of the EU labour market and accelerate the growth of the European economy. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, parliamentarians and representatives of the executive power of the Republic of Cyprus.

The auditors shared experiences and results from audits conducted on migration-related topics, outlining a number of challenges common to EU SAIs:

• Lack of a strategic approach to address migration, instead adopting ad hoc measures during times of extraordinary migratory pressure;
• Lack of reliable data on migration in the EU, which obstructs the audit of the processes related to the grant of asylum;
• Complex legal framework, linked to numerous European regulations and directives;
• Politicization of the issue, which diverts attention from the economic benefits of attracting highly qualified specialists from third countries.

The heads of the SAIs gave examples of the disproportionate burden of migratory pressures borne by countries at the EU's external borders. Participants stressed the importance of putting into practice the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was adopted by the EU Council in May 2024. The pact introduces rules to manage arrivals in a more organized manner and ensures a fair burden-sharing between member states.

In her speech, Goritsa Grancharova - Kozhareva gave a concrete example of Bulgaria's active work in protecting the EU's external borders, pointing out that due to the efforts of the Minister of Interior, the migration pressure in the period January-August 2024 was 71% less compared to the same period last year.

The decrease of migration pressure from more than 132 thousand people to just over 38 thousand opened Bulgaria's access to the Schengen area by air, added Mrs. Grancharova.

Migration-related opportunities were presented in the context of the demographic crisis in the EU and the EU labour market's need for workers in various specialised and highly skilled areas. According to data from the International Organisation for Migration, 18% of the workforce in the countries of Northern, Southern and Western Europe are migrants, with a 1% increase in migration in these countries leading to a 2% increase in the gross domestic product. The participants in the meeting agreed that the role of SAIs is to provide objective information on migration-related issues, which can serve as evidence-based, rather than emotional, management decisions.

Prior to the Contact Committee meeting, a high-level forum on "Independence of EU Supreme Audit Institutions" was held, where it was emphasized that without the necessary degree of independence, SAIs cannot effectively monitor public finances, support parliamentary control and strengthen the rule of law in the member states.

Among the ways to strengthen the independence of SAIs is the incorporation of references to international auditing standards in EU law and the implementation of a systematic assessment of the independence of SAIs through the annual Rule of Law Report prepared by the European Commission.