The European Union to Reach Agreement on Dealing with Illegal Immigrants and Asylum Seekers
The European Union is expected to reach an agreement on how to handle illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that over 2,500 migrants have died or gone missing while trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Increasing Number of Deaths and Missing Persons
According to Ruven Menekdiwela, director of the UNHCR New York office, as of September 24th, 2023, over 2,500 people have been calculated as dead or missing. This represents a significant increase compared to the same period in 2022, when 1,680 immigrants were reported dead or missing.
Agreement within the European Union
The European Union’s home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, stated that the bloc’s interior ministers have made progress in reaching an agreement. Despite some remaining barriers, the official agreement is expected to be finalized in the coming days.
Efforts to Relieve Pressure on Front-Line Countries
The new immigration and asylum policies aim to ease the pressure on front-line countries such as Italy and Greece. This will involve transferring some of the arrivals to other countries within the European Union. However, certain countries, including Poland and Hungary, oppose hosting asylum seekers and will be required to provide financial support to those who do.
Expediting Asylum Applications and Detention Times
The European Union plans to speed up the processing of asylum applications and increase the maximum detention times for immigrants at border posts from the current 12 weeks. These measures aim to promptly return immigrants who are deemed inadmissible to their countries of origin or transit.
Obtaining German Approval and Opposition from Poland and Hungary
German Interior Minister Nancy Weiser initially abstained from voting on an earlier draft of the agreement. However, after receiving concessions that addressed concerns for certain categories of immigrants, Germany now supports the deal. Only Poland and Hungary expressed opposition to the compromise text.
Finalizing the Agreement and Defined Changes
German approval has led to certain changes in the text. The priority will be given to families and children who arrive irregularly, and the concept of exploitation will be defined more narrowly. These changes indicate efforts made by the Italian government and address concerns about the treatment of charity ships rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean.
Remaining Steps and Growing Frustration
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has requested more time to study the latest text. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska emphasized that a broad majority of member states support the settlement approach. While some nuances still need to be worked out, a final agreement is expected within the next few days. The paralysis on this issue has caused growing frustration within the 27-nation bloc.
Reforming European Union Policies on Migration
Revising the policy on handling sudden large influxes of asylum seekers is part of the aim to encourage European Union countries to work together. The goal is to prevent a repeat of the 2015-2016 crisis when hundreds of thousands of immigrants arrived, mainly Syrians fleeing the war in their country. An agreement between European Union member states requires a weighted majority vote, and it is unlikely that opposition from Poland, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic will be enough to prevent it.
Previous Agreements and Criticisms
In 2016, the European Union and Turkey reached an agreement to stop irregular migration across the Aegean Sea and improve conditions for over 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. While the deal successfully reduced the flow of migrants and refugees, the European Union’s reluctance to accept refugees from Turkey and bureaucratic obstacles in transferring promised funds sparked criticism from Turkish politicians. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s spokesperson also criticized the migration charter, expressing concerns about border transformations.
Pressure from the European Parliament
The European Parliament added pressure on ministers by deciding to pause negotiations with member states on enhanced security along the block’s outer border. The European Union aims to reform its laws before the upcoming European elections and the start of a new European Parliament and Commission. The rise of right-wing parties in several EU countries, with Hungary and Poland expected to hold the rotating presidency, could bring about a political transformation in the European Parliament.
