EU asylum compromise on the brink
Greeks, Italians and Co. are opposed to each other
06/08/2023 7:23 p.m
The EU countries have been struggling to reform the asylum system for years. After lengthy negotiations, the Swedish EU Council Presidency finally presented a compromise. But the plans do not go far enough for several member states – others find them too rigid.
The negotiations between the EU countries on asylum procedures at the external borders are on the brink. At the meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg in the afternoon, Italy and Greece declared that they could not agree to a new compromise proposal from the Swedish EU Council Presidency. Without the two Mediterranean countries, the reform would have failed politically. The negotiations were then temporarily interrupted. The talks continue into the evening.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for further concessions to his country. He had previously warned the EU not to burden his country with too much. Greece’s representative, Mikhail Karamalakis, said in the public panel that his country “like Italy is not ready to give the green light”.
A total of ten EU countries are calling for improvements to be made to the proposals that are on the table. Because these go in very different directions, it is unclear whether there will ultimately be a sufficiently large majority to accept the proposals. In addition to Greece and Italy, which are particularly affected by illegal migration, Bulgaria, but also Austria, Hungary and Poland are still dissatisfied.
Austria, Italy and Greece, for example, made it clear that some of the planned rules for a more efficient fight against illegal migration do not go far enough for them. In particular, they demanded that rejected asylum seekers should in principle also be able to be deported to non-EU countries. States like Germany only want to make this possible if the people concerned have a connection to this country. This could be the case, for example, if they have previously lived or worked in the country. From a German point of view, a mere transit stay should not be sufficient.
Hungary does not want to accept compensation payments
In the negotiations, the federal government also emphatically advocated that families with children be exempted from the so-called border procedures. According to the diplomats, however, in order to make the breakthrough possible, it was made clear that approval could also be given without an exception. Italy’s reservations are considered to be particularly problematic. Getting the asylum reform going without the support of the government in Rome is considered to make little sense, since most migrants are currently arriving in the country and the EU is dependent on Italy adhering to the new rules.
A reform of the EU asylum system has been the subject of debate for years. After lengthy negotiations, the current Swedish EU Council Presidency recently presented new draft legislation based on proposals from the EU Commission. In particular, they provide for a much more rigid approach to dealing with migrants with no prospects of staying.
In the future, people arriving from countries that are considered safe should come to strictly controlled reception facilities under conditions similar to detention after crossing the border. There would normally be checked within twelve weeks whether the applicant has a chance of asylum. If not, it should be sent back immediately. In addition, the monitoring and deportation of rejected asylum seekers should be made easier – for example, by collecting more data about them and storing them centrally.
In addition to the tightened asylum procedures, the proposals also provide for more solidarity with the heavily burdened member states at the EU’s external borders. In the future, it should no longer be voluntary, but mandatory. Countries that do not want to take in refugees would be forced to pay compensation. Countries like Hungary therefore voted against the plan.