Member States “invite” the European Commission to quickly submit “a new legislative proposal”. A similar initiative failed in 2018.
Published on 18/10/2024 10:39
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The European Union is raising its voice. Gathered at a summit in Brussels, the 27 demanded “urgently” a law to speed up expulsions and fight illegal immigration. “The European Council calls for decisive action, at all levels, to facilitate, increase and accelerate returns from the European Union”declared the member states on Thursday October 17 in the conclusions of the summit.
Ils “invite” the European Commission to submit quickly “a new legislative proposal”. The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, took the lead on Monday, suggesting a new law on a timetable yet to be determined. A similar initiative failed in 2018.
Previously, the 27 debated at length the “return hubs”a flammable proposal to transfer migrants to reception centers in third countries. The Italy of Giorgia Meloni, head of government and of the far-right party Fratelli d’Italia, has reached a controversial agreement with Albania, where the first migrants arrested in Italian waters are starting to arrive.
Several European officials have distanced themselves, including Emmanuel Macron, “skeptical”and the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The “hubs” do not “address none of the problems and create new ones”even squeaked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
In May, the European Union adopted the migration and asylum pact, supposed to come into force in mid-2026, with a tightening of the “filtering” at the borders and a solidarity mechanism between the 27 in the care of asylum seekers. Germany, France and Spain are pleading to accelerate its implementation. “Irregular migration must be reduced. At the same time, the EU must remain open to skilled labor immigration”however argued the German Olaf Scholz. Migration issues are coming back to shake up the agenda, pushed in particular by far-right parties, on the rise in many European countries.
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