Von der Leyen announces plan to revamp EU migration policy
On Wednesday, the President of the European Commission unveiled plans for the EU to move towards a common migration policy. Von der Leyen’s announcement, prompted by the Moria refugee camp disaster, seeks to reach a pan-European solution to an issue that has divided the EU for years. The package, which seeks to build on the momentum gained from this summer’s historic Covid-19 recovery plan, reveals that internal EU rifts on migration are still stark. The plan has not been able to avoid some criticism from pro-migration advocates because of its concessions to those member states opposed to large numbers of immigrants.
The plan is formed around three pillars. The first of these is improved procedures at external EU borders for entering migrants. These procedures will include a pre-entry screening and a health and security check which will take a maximum of five days. Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johannson, says that the introduction of these measures will result in a quicker and safer decision regarding the entry or return of migrants arriving in the EU. The particular issue of slow-moving procedural checks at external EU borders has been cited as a strong contributing factor to the overcrowding at Moria. It is hoped that as well as preventing overcrowded camps, the heightened efficiency of screening procedures will deter unauthorised movements to other states, which has long been a fear of many anti-immigration voices in the EU.
The second pillar of the plan is the new so-called “solidarity and responsibility” mechanism. This notion allows for a more flexible form of support for the EU’s migrant policy from those countries unwilling to accept migrants. For years, countries such as Poland and Hungary have been strongly opposed to the idea of accepting migrants. Such countries may be given the option of helping the EU manage the return of those migrants who are not granted asylum. This mechanism will only require the mandatory acceptance of migrants if a search and rescue operation is conducted within a country’s domain or if a large influx of refugees suddenly arrive in the EU, which is currently improbable. Many pro-migration activists and commentators have criticised this aspect of the plan. Marissa Ryan, head of Oxfam’s EU office, welcomes the plan. However, she says the commission has “bowed” to the pressure of governments hostile to the entry of migrants to the continent.
The final pillar of the plan is concerned with the return of migrants to their country of origin. Official data shows that roughly 370,000 asylum applications are rejected per annum, but only one-third of unsuccessful applicants are expelled. An EU Return Coordinator will be instated to manage this process along with a “High Level Network coordinating national action”. The emphasis on returning unsuccessful asylum applicants will be assisted by those countries unwilling to allow migrants to relocate within their borders. Part of this pillar will involve increasing diplomatic relations with countries of origin to accelerate the process of return.
The EU is hopeful that the framework will result in a more rules-based, European approach to migration policy, both for EU member-states and those seeking asylum. The plan also includes some humane aspects, promising to reunite migrant siblings and to allow people with a diploma from a member state to remain there. With the plan, the EU has acknowledged that any viable European migration policy requires all member states to shoulder some burden. The next step is for the commission’s plan to be considered by the EU Parliament and Council.