The ambassadors of the EU member states meeting in Brussels reached an agreement on a key text for the reform of European migration policy on October 4, successfully overcoming Italian reservations. In the event of a “massive” and “exceptional” influx of immigrants, the text provides for the introduction of an exception system that is less protective for asylum seekers than the usual procedures.
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The EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, October 4, reached an agreement on a key text for the reform of European migration policy, overcoming Italian reservations before the Twenty-seven summit to be held on Friday in Spain.
The regulation being debated aims to organize a European response in the event of a massive influx of migrants to an EU country, as occurred during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis. Specific, allows migrants to be detained for longer periods at the bloc’s external borders.
The agreement, announced by the Spanish presidency of the EU, must now be negotiated with the European Parliament.
This text, the last piece of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact on which the Member States had to agree, had clashed for several months with the objections of Germany, for humanitarian reasons. At a meeting of interior ministers held at the end of September, a compromise was reached to obtain the green light from Berlin, but Italy then expressed its disagreement.
According to diplomatic sources, Italy’s objections concerned the role of migrant rescue NGOs, and Rome criticized Berlin for funding several rescue NGOs in the Mediterranean.some of which operate under the German flag.
Last week, the head of the Italian Government, Giorgia Meloni, asked that these NGOs disembark migrants in the countries whose flag their ships fly. The compromise adopted on Wednesday finally received the support of both Italy and Germany.
“It is a very positive result, a success for Italy. When Europe makes decisions, it must take into account everyone’s opinion,” declared Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
The agreement on this text is a “historic turning point” that “will effectively limit irregular immigration in Europe and will provide lasting relief for countries like Germany,” commented German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The European Commission and Spain, which holds the six-month presidency of the EU Council, had expressed confidence in the prospects of an agreement ahead of the informal European Council to be held on Friday in Granada (southern Spain). The burning issue of immigration will focus the debates between the Heads of State and Government.
New rules in case of “massive” influx of immigrants
The paralysis of this “crisis solution” was a source of frustration within the EU, given the increase in the number of migrants arriving at its external borders and the situation on the Italian island of Lampedusa.
In the event of a “massive” and “exceptional” influx of migrants, the text provides for the introduction of an exception system that is less protective of asylum seekers than the usual procedures.
Extends the duration of detention of migrants at the EU’s external borders to 40 weeks and allows faster and simpler procedures for examining asylum applications for a greater number of exiles (all those coming from countries where the recognition rate, that is, the rate of positive responses to asylum applications, is less than 75 %), so that they can be returned more easily.
Also provides for the rapid implementation of solidarity mechanisms towards the Member State facing this influxin the form of relocation of asylum seekers or financial contribution.
At a meeting held in July, the majority necessary to adopt this regulation was not reached. Germany abstained in particular due to the opposition of the Greens, members of the government coalition, who called for a device for minors and families.
To push the 27 Member States to agree on this regulation, the European Parliament decided to put on hold the negotiations already underway with the Member States on two other texts of the migration package aimed at strengthening security at the external borders.
However, the agreement reached on Wednesday “is a big step forward, and we are now in better conditions to reach an agreement on the entire Asylum and Migration Pact with Parliament before the end of this semester,” declared the Spanish minister of Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez.
In any case, the declared objective is to adopt the pact, presented by the European Commission in September 2020 and which includes a dozen legislative acts, before the European elections in June 2024.
During this Wednesday’s vote, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic abstained, while Poland and Hungary opposed it, according to a diplomatic source.
“We call on Brussels to immediately put an end to this migration policy, with the reinstatement of mandatory quotas. The growing migratory pressure on Central Europe is entirely attributable to Brussels”, which “supports the economic model of traffickers”, reacted the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijjarto.
With AFP
This article was adapted from its original in French
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