The hard line defended by Meloni and Tusk prevails, with the support of Von der Leyen
BRUSSELS, Oct. 17 () –
The heads of State and Government of the European Union have committed this Thursday in Brussels to study “new ways” to “avoid and contain irregular migration” rather than seeking to reach community soil, a formula that evokes the hardest line of countries such as Italy, Poland or Denmark to explore “innovative solutions” such as creating deportation centers outside the Union or punishing third countries that do not cooperate in returns.
“Migration is a European challenge that requires a European response. We must strengthen the implementation of our comprehensive approach,” the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, wrote on social networks to announce the agreement at the 27 summit.
Among the keys, Michel has pointed out the need to establish alliances with the countries of origin and transit of irregular migration, the fight against mafias, greater control of the external border, strengthening deportations and promoting legal routes of entry into the EU. .
The text of conclusions finally adopted by the European Council includes the leaders’ commitment to “consider new ways to prevent and contain irregular migration, in line with European and international law” and affirm that they will resume the migration debate at an upcoming meeting, without specifying a calendar.
In this way, the leaders respond to the call of 14 of the partners who, in a working document circulated in recent weeks, demanded to explore “innovative solutions” to tighten immigration policy.
They also take note of the letter that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, sent them days ago, supporting the need to debate new formulas to stop irregular flows and asking to “draw lessons” from the model negotiated by the far-right Government of Giorgia Meloni with Albania to transfer migrants rescued in Italian waters to this country.
The head of the Community Executive then invited them to reflect on the creation of deportation centers in third countries for irregular migrants while their expulsion from the EU is being processed or with trade sanctions and visa restrictions on countries that do not accept returns.
Furthermore, leaders have given Poland explicit reference to the role of Russia and Belarus in “instrumentalizing” migration and how “they cannot be allowed to abuse values, including the right to asylum, and undermine democracies (of the EU)”; Therefore, they express the commitment to confront this instrumentalization.
In this regard, the leaders show their solidarity with Poland and other countries in the bloc that suffer hybrid attacks launched by Minsk and Moscow with the massive arrival of irregular migrants at the border and warn that “exceptional situations require appropriate measures.”
The final text of conclusions of the 27 also underlines the “importance of implementing the adopted European legislation and applying existing legislation”, a formula that replaces the explicit references that appeared in the first draft and then declined to the need to accelerate the application of the Migration and Asylum Pact as requested by Spain.
At this point, as European sources have informed Europa Press, Poland – which together with Hungary voted against the Migration Pact – has unsuccessfully pressed to include a caveat stating that the implementation of the reform “should not affect the exercise of responsibilities” of the Member States to maintain order and security in their territory.
The leaders also ask the European Commission to present “as a matter of urgency” a new proposal to review the returns directive and call for measures “at all levels to facilitate, increase and accelerate” deportations.
DEPORTATION CENTERS
The initiative to open deportation centers in third countries other than those of origin or transit to transfer migrants who have arrived in the EU without the right to asylum is one of the keys that has marked the debate in recent days, although it has not reached be reflected in the writing of the conclusions.
The head of the community Executive, however, wanted to make it clear at the end of the summit that the matter was widely discussed among the leaders although it was not mentioned in the text, although she has conceded that there remain “open questions” such as for how long. Those deported could remain or what would happen to people whose definitive expulsion was not possible to their country of origin.
At the end of the European Council, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, reiterated his categorical rejection of deportation centers because in his opinion this measure “does not address the problems and creates new ones.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, has declared his skepticism regarding being able to negotiate with third countries that “agree to stay with people we do not want to welcome (in the EU)” when they are not accepted by their own countries of origin either.
Meanwhile, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has defended that it is the EU countries that should “be able to choose” which migrants can enter the community territory but he has also questioned upon his arrival at the meeting that the model negotiated between Italy and Albania was “effective” for a country like Germany.
Regarding the implementation of the Migration Pact, which is also not explicitly mentioned in the leaders’ document, Von der Leyen has said that the bloc is prepared to “accelerate its implementation if necessary”, but has also warned that the Pact was built ” in a very balanced way, with responsibility and solidarity”, so if it is accelerated it must be “absolutely clear that this balance is preserved”.
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