Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 09:38
The next European Commission, which is expected to begin work in December, has its focus on the challenge posed by irregular migration to the European Union (EU). Pressure from member states such as Germany – which has imposed random controls at its borders – has forced Brussels to act. The head of the Community Executive, Ursula von der Leyen, sent a letter to the Twenty-seven on Monday night in which she opens the door to the creation of migrant detention centers outside the EU, a proposal that was born at the request of several European capitals.
In her letter, the German politician defends that the joint action of the EU “has proven to be effective” in stopping irregular arrivals to the bloc and encourages the acceleration of the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact. “In this way we will have the legal framework that will allow us to respond effectively to this challenge,” he highlights. The pact, whose negotiations were closed in June, will come into force in 2026. This, together with the fact that the debates for its implementation will be in the hands of the presidency of the European Council, which falls until the end of the year in Hungary and then in Denmark – two countries not very interested in promoting this pact – give rise to fear that the implementation will be delayed more than it should.
In this context, Von der Leyen is open to “exploring innovative solutions” to stop irregular arrivals to the bloc and assures that the European Commission has committed to reviewing the concept of “safe third countries” next year. “We must explore possible avenues regarding the idea of creating return centers outside the EU, especially in view of the new legislative proposal on returns.” And he gives as an example the ‘Meloni model’ of the Italian prime minister, who wants to create a detention center in Albania. “With the start of the Italy-Albania protocol, we will be able to learn from this experience in practice,” says Von der Leyen.
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