The European Commission welcomes the political agreement on the new pact for migration and asylum in the European Union. But, the model that will seek to create a structure to replace the solutions ad hocfor the management of arrivals and asylum applications has its critics, who are staunch, who disapprove of the measure.
The Hungarian prime minister claims that Brussels is abusing its legal powers. Viktor Orbán considers that a mandatory solidarity system to manage asylum applications is “unacceptable” and a way to “forcibly transform Hungary into a country of migrants”.
In Poland, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki considers that “forced relocation is not a solution to the migration problem, but violates the sovereignty of the Member States.”
Anticipating the controversy, and in an unsympathetic manner, Morawiecki guarantees that “Poland will not pay for the mistakes of other countries’ immigration policies.”
But, in Brussels, the first reactions are of great enthusiasm with the approval of the model that will seek to create a structure to deal with arrivals and asylum applications: “a European challenge” for which it is necessary to find “a common solution”. , says the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that she has already welcomed the agreement and has congratulated the commissioner on the migration dossier.
Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for the Interior, was even surprised by the favorable result of the “marathon”.
As TSF discovered, the vote drew the attention of Bulgaria, Slovakia, Lithuania, Malta and the Czech Republic, votes against Poland and Hungary. But with the vote in favor of 20 countries, including Portugal, the European Union reached a qualified majority to approve the proposal that establishes a unified and coordinated migration policy at the European level.
decisive step
The Council of the European Union had heralded the agreement as a “decisive step” towards modernizing asylum and immigration rules in the EU. The measure establishes a negotiating position in relation to the regulation of the asylum procedure and the management of asylum and immigration.
It is intended to establish a “common procedure” throughout the EU, including “standards for the rights of asylum seekers”, such as “an interpretation service or having the right to legal assistance and representation”. Thus, it is hoped to avoid “abuses of the system”, establishing “clear obligations” for applicants to cooperate with the authorities, throughout the procedure.
In addition, the new regulation introduces “mandatory border procedures”, with the aim of quickly assessing, at the external borders of the EU, “whether asylum applications are unfounded or inadmissible”.
penalty fee
The Council also proposes a “new solidarity mechanism” to balance the current system in which “few Member States” are responsible for the majority of asylum applications.
The new rules combine “mandatory solidarity” with flexibility for member states to choose the form of their individual contributions. These may include relocation, financial contributions or “alternative solidarity measures” such as staff mobilization.
As demonstrated, the proposal foresees a minimum number of relocations per year from Member States where more people enter the EU to Member States less exposed to immigrant and refugee arrivals. This number is set at 30,000, while the minimum annual number of economic contributions will be €20,000 per transfer.
The new model also includes measures aimed at preventing “abuses by the asylum seeker” and preventing “secondary movements” within the European Union.
This solution, approved by the Council of the European Union, will serve as the basis for negotiations between the Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament.
Source: TSF
