The mass influx of migrants into Ceuta over the summer has placed a controversial migration measure on EU ministers’ agenda. In July, the sudden arrival of more than 70,000 migrants to the small Spanish North African territory triggered chaos, just as the EU was rolling out sweeping migration reforms to secure its external borders. Several countries argue that it should be possible to temporarily suspend asylum applications in crises of this scale under a new emergency procedure.
The blueprint also included a European emergency response framework, which Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had included in her State of the Union address last month. He added that EU leaders would continue discussions at a meeting later this month, and that the Commission would make a proposal “on that basis.” With talks Thursday not yet focused on specific proposals for the European emergency response framework, several countries were in wait-and-see mode. Athens has proposed temporarily suspending asylum applications in emergency situations, and the idea has the support of German and Austrian ministers.
Diplomats and ministers from three other countries said they’d wait for the Commission’s proposal before taking a position. Diplomats also raised concerns about the impact of suspending asylum applications — which could effectively result in large-scale pushbacks banned under international law — on fundamental rights, but agreed the EU needed to discuss it. The EU also needs to discuss “what can and cannot be done” in an emergency without violating people’s rights, the diplomat said.
The discussion is whether it should be on the EU level or more on the national level,” Sweden’s Migration Minister Johan Forssell said. Civil society groups have criticized the so-called return hubs as “legal black holes,” but a group made up of Austria, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Greece are meeting regularly to lay the groundwork for such centers. Spain was the only country to vote against the reform; Belgium abstained.
Ireland and Denmark have an opt-out to EU justice matters and didn’t participate in the vote.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
