It has been a year since the new beginning should succeed. But after years of controversy over asylum and migration policy, the reform proposals of the EU Commission did not provide a solution either.
Pressure on Belarus, people smugglers and employers who employ black workers: In the stuck migration policy, the EU Commission is relying on stronger action against irregular migration.
One year after the authority presented its proposals for reforming asylum and migration policy, there is little movement in the negotiations between the EU states. There is still a dispute about whether and how those seeking protection are distributed among the EU countries.
The asylum and migration pact of September 2020 should be a fresh start. EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen recently admitted that “only painfully slow progress was made”.
There are enough challenges that could be solved by the new pact, as Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said on Wednesday. It is ironic that everything you need is on hand with the Commission’s 2020 proposals – and it is still out of reach. “It’s like having a parachute on hand, but you decide to try it on your own.”
The EU Commission started another attempt on Wednesday. In doing so, it concentrated above all on combating irregular migration and organized exploitation of those seeking protection.
Hybrid threat from Belarus – restricting visas in the future
The number of attempted border crossings from Belarus to the EU countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia has skyrocketed. The EU Commission and several EU states see a “hybrid attack” by the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. They accuse him of bringing refugees to the EU border in an organized manner.
EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson described the procedure as follows: Migrants who could pay 10,000 euros would be invited and initially housed in hotels before they were brought to the EU border. If the EU states do not let them into the country, Belarus will block their way back – and they will be trapped. This is also an opportunity for Lukashenko, who has been hit by EU economic sanctions, to earn money. He was desperate and one had to answer steadfastly.
Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have already strengthened their border guards. Several migrants have already died in the swampy border area between Poland and Belarus. Warsaw wants to extend the state of emergency by 60 days in a three-kilometer-wide strip along the border with Belarus. Journalists and helpers are not allowed there. Johansson wants to go to Warsaw this Thursday and also has some questions about that, as she said.
In order to increase the pressure on Belarus, the EU Commission has now proposed to partially suspend the agreement on visa facilitation with Belarus. Members of the national and regional governments and parliaments as well as Belarusian courts are said to be affected. They face more paperwork and higher costs if the EU states approve the proposal. Ordinary citizens should not have any disadvantages.
Fight migrant smuggling more effectively
According to the EU police authority Europol, more than 90 percent of migrants who come irregularly into the EU have help from smugglers. Many people die on the way to the EU. In an action plan, the EU Commission lists what is to be done against people smuggling by 2025: Among other things, cooperation with third countries is to be expanded. In addition, the procedure against the instrumentalization of migrants by state actors is to be expanded – see Belarus. This could relate to the issuing of visas, trade issues or development aid.
Put an end to undeclared work
“One of the pull factors for irregular migration is the possibility of getting a job on the black market in the EU,” said Johansson. There are particularly many illegally employed people in construction, agriculture or the cleaning industry. Many workers do not get a reasonable salary and the working conditions are inadequate. All this is to be prevented by the EU directive on “Minimum standards for sanctions and measures against employers who employ illegally resident third-country nationals”.
But this will not be implemented uniformly, said Johansson. The fines that companies would have to pay for illegal employment varied widely. Companies would also have to be inspected more frequently. “I would like to see more standardization here.” On 29 pages, the EU Commission explained how things could go better: Among other things, the responsible authorities of the EU states should exchange more information, positive examples should be shared and the implementation of the EU directive should be monitored more closely.
The current migration situation
The EU is a long way from the large influx of refugees in 2015 and 2016. After the numbers plummeted during the 2020 corona pandemic, there are now more arrivals again, according to a new management report from the EU Commission. The greatest increase (81 percent) occurred via the central Mediterranean route towards Italy. The Canary Islands and Cyprus, which belong to Spain, also recorded a big plus. According to the EU Commission, the initially feared flight to Europe after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan has not materialized. Nevertheless, the EU states should prepare for possible migration movements and security risks.
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