The EU interior ministers met in Luxembourg to discuss the common asylum policy. EU/Brussels correspondent Andreas Reich explains the most important questions.
Why is a reform of the European asylum system needed?
A large number of refugees and migrants are currently coming to Europe, and last year more asylum applications were made in the EU than at any time since 2016. There are also a large number of people seeking protection from Ukraine. And these asylum seekers encounter a European asylum system that only works in theory. Actually, asylum seekers should apply for asylum where they first enter the Dublin area.
What is the problem?
Since many people take the route via the Mediterranean or the Balkans, this means that countries in southern Europe in particular, such as Italy or Greece, have to process many more arrivals than other European countries. These countries, in turn, often allow people to travel on to other European countries without registering. In this way, the arriving migrants and refugees are passed on from one country to the next.
What are the points?
- On the one hand should already be checked at the EU’s external border whether someone has a right to asylum or not. So that asylum seekers do not travel to the European Union at all. That would mean that people arriving in Reception centers at the EU external borders have to wait for their asylum decision. A majority of states are likely to support it. Human rights organizations fear that prison-like conditions for asylum seekers could prevail in such centers. They fear conditions that are sometimes known from Greek islands, which could become the European norm.
- on the other hand there is also a so-called solidarity mechanism to debate. In principle, all countries should accept migrants. For countries that are not willing to do this, however, there should be the possibility of paying money into a fund instead of taking in migrants. However, a mandatory distribution mechanism for arriving people is not up for discussion.
How likely is an agreement?
In principle, all states agree that the asylum system should be reformed. However, many details are disputed: How high are the amounts that states have to pay in order not to have to take in people? Should families with children be exempted from border procedures? Diplomats from EU countries speak of a 50:50 chance of an agreement.
Legend:
European asylum policy is a topic at the meeting of EU interior ministers in Luxembourg.
REUTERS/Archive/Wolfgang Rattay
Would an agreement be the big breakthrough in European asylum policy?
No, it probably wouldn’t. Many people who arrive in Europe today are not entitled to asylum. If such people receive a negative decision in a border center, they would theoretically have to return to their country of origin. However, the EU has hardly concluded any readmission agreements with third countries.
Is admission voluntary?
Even if the proposed solidarity mechanism is to be mandatory, the admission of arriving people is ultimately based on a voluntary basis. Countries can virtually buy themselves free from the obligation to take in people. It can be assumed that numerous states will make use of this option. The burdens in the European asylum system are therefore likely to remain unequally distributed among the states in the future.