EU: Agreement, but still many debates on asylum reform

2023-10-05 08:46:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

On one point it seems that all parties in the EU Parliament agree in principle: That there must be an end to the death in the Mediterranean Sea. But as to how this should be done, the positions are completely opposite.

The subject of the debate in the EU Parliament is the necessity for the rapid acceptance of the package of rules on asylum and migration. For years, the European Union has been trying to reform the EU's Common Asylum System (GEAS). This reform package contains several bills. Among other things, fast processes of examining the asylum request at the external borders and a mandatory separation of asylum seekers within the EU countries are foreseen. Meanwhile, it is being negotiated in both European legislative instances, the Council of the European Union (representatives of the member states) and the European Parliament.

The way is opened for further talks

Talks on certain parts of the reform have meanwhile been blocked due to disagreement between member countries regarding the so-called crisis order. On Wednesday (04.10.2023) the Spanish presidency of the EU declared that an agreement has finally been reached. The emergency order in cases of exceptional situations foresees tougher measures, if EU countries are strongly affected by migration. In such a case, migrants may be detained for a longer time, or the accelerated procedure of examining the asylum application at the border may be applied more often. Now the talks with the EU Parliament will be set in motion again. Debate on solidarity

The issue of solidarity was also discussed a lot in the EU Parliament. This has to do with the Dublin II regulation of the right of asylum, according to which the country where they first entered the territory of the EU is responsible for asylum seekers. For years, countries on the EU's borders have been complaining about being overwhelmed by the influx of refugees. Under the new package, a mandatory distribution of asylum seekers must now be established and if certain countries do not want to accept them, then they will be forced to pay the countries that accept the refugees. This rule is rejected by Hungary and Poland. Polish MP and former Prime Minister Beata Szydlo from the national-conservative PiS party emphasized in the plenary hall that her country will never accept migrants who come illegally.

At the end of the debate, the vice-president of the EU Commission, Margaritis Schinas, emphasizes once again the aspect of solidarity and says that it is politically, legally and morally unfair that the five states on the EU's external borders are left alone with the burden of refugees. We are dealing with a common task.

In Brussels and in Strasbourg, it is clear that time does not wait. There is broad consensus on the adoption of the reform package by the EU elections in June 2024.