The EU Commission has presented an implementation plan for asylum reform. Now it is up to the member states: they must also draw up plans – and there is a clear deadline.
After the controversial EU asylum reform was finally decided in May, the Commission has now presented a plan for its implementation.
“Not all member states are in the same position. Some, for example, already have experience with advanced control procedures at the borders,” said EU Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in Brussels. “But everyone will have to adapt to the new requirements, the new deadlines and the protective provisions of the law.” This will be a herculean task.
The Commission’s plan includes ten key building blocks that, according to the Brussels authority, are interdependent and must be implemented in parallel. One of these building blocks is a large IT system called Eurodac, in which the data of people seeking asylum will be stored and processed. The aim is to help countries determine responsibilities and better monitor when refugees move from one EU state to another.
In addition, a return coordinator will play a crucial role in the return procedures to ensure that the procedures are efficient and fair.
Stricter rules and solidarity mechanism
The EU asylum reform came into force on Monday. EU states now have until June 11, 2026 to implement it. However, states must draw up their plans for national implementation by December 12, 2024.
The EU’s asylum reform introduces a much tougher approach to people from countries that are considered relatively safe. A third country can only be classified as safe if a strict list of criteria is met. For example, the applicant’s life and freedom must be guaranteed.
Controversy over the distribution of those seeking protection
The distribution of those seeking protection among the EU states will also be reorganized with a “solidarity mechanism.” This is intended to relieve the burden on southern European countries in particular, where many refugees arrive. If countries do not want to accept refugees, they must provide support in other ways, for example in the form of cash payments.
It is questionable whether all countries will ultimately play along: the first voices from Poland and Hungary have already expressed a desire to avoid this mechanism.
“Time for disagreement is over”
“There was a time of disagreement. That was the time when we negotiated,” Schinas warned. “That time is now over. We are now in a different constellation. This is the moment of implementation.”
The Commission plans to present the plan to member states at a meeting of interior ministers on Thursday.
Source: Stern
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