The European Union (E.U.) has launched, “EU’s Pact on Migration & Asylum” across the bloc to manage migration and resolve the years of bitterness and provide a safe home to refugees coming from Middle East and Africa.
The German-backed pact requires all 27 E.U. countries to take part. The most critical element would de facto oblige each state to host some refugees, something which Poland and Hungary have always refused. Member States would have to either take in refugees or take responsibility of sending back those refused asylum.
The new plan is being strongly moved forward by the German Chancellor – Angela Merkel. As per the new plan, the refugees arriving to Europe would be assigned countries based on their family links, history of education or work, or having a visa from a member state.
The country taking refugees would receive 10,000 euros (U.S. $ 11,750) from the bloc’s budget per adult taken in.
Speaking on the occasion, the President of European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen said, “Migration is complex, the old system to deal with it in Europe no longer works.”
In a series of tweets, Ursula first tweeted, “Our Pact on Migration and Asylum offers a fresh start. We want to live up to our values and face the challenges of a globalized world. Europe has to move away from ad hoc solutions and put in place a predictable and reliable migration management system. #MigrationEU.”
She further tweeted, “The #MigrationEU proposal brings together the complexity of the issue and all aspects of migration: border management and screening, asylum and integration, return and relations with external partners.”
The EU commissioner for Home Affairs – Ylva Johansson tweeted, “1/2 #Migration has always been and always will be part of our societies. What we are proposing today will build a long-term migration policy that can translate European values into practical management. This will mean clear, fair… #MigrationEU.”
“2/2 … and faster border procedures so that people do not have to wait in limbo. It means enhanced cooperation with third countries for fast returns, more legal pathways and strong actions to fight human smugglers. Fundamentally it protects the right to seek asylum #MigrationEU,” tweeted Johansson.
The International Catholic Charity Caritas has criticised the move stating that it could harm human rights, dilute legal safeguards and lead to more detentions. Hungary has also said it does not support obligatory distribution.
A Hungarian Government spokesperson – Zoltan Kovacs said, “We believe that the European Union and its member states must cooperate in keeping the looming migration pressure outside our borders.”
The plan is intended to be in place from 2023. There would be new compulsory pre-entry screening involving health, identity and security checks. Besides, there will be a faster asylum border process involving decisions within 12 weeks and swift returns for failed applicants.
Each of the Member State will be required to pay their fair share, which would be based half on their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and half on their population size. The new pact will replace the ‘Dublin rule’, which requires asylum claims to be handled in the E.U. country where the applicant first enters the system.
The need for a strong system for managing migration was realised even before the upheaval of 2015 which saw millions of refugees arriving at Europe for shelter. The recent fire at the Moria camp of Lesbos Island in Greece expedited the process.
It is to be noted that in 2015, Europe had a total of 1.8 million refugees arriving at the bloc. This year, it has received 55,000 refugees.
