EU Asylum Reform: A Tough Negotiation Ahead
The European Union (EU) is pushing for a reform of its Common European Asylum System (CEAS), a move prompted by the influx of migrants in 2015 and 2016. Germany, in particular, saw over a million people arrive, causing years of dispute. The essence of the five legislative texts in this reform focuses on stricter asylum rules and providing relief for countries like Italy and Greece, hit hard by asylum seekers.
The controversial asylum procedures at external borders aim to prevent people with minimal chances of acceptance from continuing their journey. The European Parliament is advocating for exceptions for families with children under 12, but the push hasn't been successful yet. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser remains optimistic, expressing confidence in reaching a compromise in the face of tough negotiations.
Germany and a few other member states are insistent on exemptions for families with children in asylum policy. However, this position faces resistance from other countries. Pro Asyl, the refugee aid organization, holds the hope that the EU Parliament remains resilient, preventing harrowing scenarios such as detaining children, forced deportations to potentially unsafe third countries, and lawlessness at external borders.
The EU's stance on "safe third countries" has hardened, with countries like Italy and Austria calling for asylum seekers to be returned to Albania or Tunisia. The European Parliament demands considerable hurdles for this, like a genuine connection between the refugees and the country and access to the labor market.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the "Rwanda model," a controversial method of taking in refugees, during a visit to Kigali. The CDU, conversely, appears sympathetic to the concept, as the UK has agreed with Rwanda to handle refugees.
Further Insights
Deportation procedures and faster deportation processes are two key features of the EU's asylum reform. The reforms aim to reinterpret Article 3 and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, potentially limiting the right to private and family life for asylum seekers and escalating cases to the European Court of Human Rights.
Defining "safe third countries" consistently and humanely proves challenging, given the fragmented national policies and a lack of clear criteria. Countries like Poland have also expressed resistance to implementing certain aspects of the reform due to their support for Ukraine refugees.
The German perspective towards the reform is mixed, with some favouring the streamlining of asylum processes, while others emphasize humanitarian standards and the treatment of asylum seekers in safe third countries.
In this intricate landscape of negotiations, the EU asylum reform teeters towards a compromise, balancing the need for stricter rules and human rights considerations.
