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Immigration: towards a reform of European migration policy
Brussels adopted a new migration pact on Wednesday April 10, after very long negotiations. It provides for more border controls and more mutual aid between countries.
(franceinfo)
Brussels adopted a new migration pact on Wednesday April 10, after very long negotiations. It provides for more border controls and more mutual aid between countries.
Despite protests from human rights activists, the ten texts of the pact on migration and asylum were all approved on Wednesday April 10 in Brussels (Belgium), at the European Parliament. The agreement was welcomed by several European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the Commission. “After years of intense work, the pact on immigration and asylum is becoming a reality. It is a huge step for Europe”she reacted, greeting a “excellent result”.
The main points of the reform
The text, however, aroused opposition from the Greens, the radical left and certain socialists, as well as a large part of the far right. “This means that a country like France and other European countries will be subject to at least 30,000 illegal migrants per year by the European Commission,” comments Fabrice Leggeri, number 3 on the RN European list and former director of FRONTEX.
The reform provides for an accelerated procedure for examining asylum applications near external borders, via a mandatory filtering system prior to a migrant’s entry into the EU. The process aims to determine within five days whether the applicant should be subject to a return procedure.
The rule according to which a migrant must apply for asylum in the first EU country they reach is maintained, but a compulsory solidarity system is organized to help countries where many exiles arrive, such as Italy, Greece or Spain. Other Member States must contribute by taking care of asylum seekers, or by making a financial or material contribution.
