SIf the asylum compromise that the EU institutions have now agreed on becomes law, it would still be a long way from sealing off the continent. Essentially, Europe is saying goodbye to the illusion, which has been statistically refuted many times, that practically everyone who applies for asylum here has a need for protection. The recognition rate in the EU was 49 percent in October.
The border procedures that are now to be introduced are a first step in at least sorting out those who come from countries where there is little persecution upon entry. The Chancellor is right when he says that Germany can also hope for relief, especially the local municipalities.
Criminal trafficking gangs
This course correction is not as inhumane as the refugee associations portray it. There is nothing humane about the fact that Europe has been watching for years as criminal smuggling gangs make a lot of money by luring migrants on life-threatening journeys, and not just across the Mediterranean.
The most important effect that the new border procedures can have is that the pull of previous practice is reduced. The EU must counteract the expectation that a successful arrival almost always leads to a right of residence. The fact that the Greens wanted to exclude children and families from the border process was extremely problematic, especially from a human rights perspective. Fortunately, Brussels recognized that this would have been an invitation to bring minors along.
The new system will only work if the countries on the external border enforce it and cooperation with countries of origin and transit works. The EU has not been good at either.
This reform was certainly not the last. If it does not bear fruit, then next time the question will have to be whether the individual right to asylum in the EU can still be maintained.
#asylum #law #Farewell #illusion