Brussels, 22/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - At its annual congress in Madrid, the conservative European People's Party (EPP) adopted a resolution on immigration on Wednesday 21 October. In it, the EPP calls for a policy to be pursued that upholds the right of asylum but that is tough with migrants who have no right to remain in the EU. The EPP stresses the importance of improving protection of the EU's borders and advocates complete revision of the European asylum system in the long term.
The EPP points out in its resolution that at least 500,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean since the start of this year, including 390,000 travelling from Turkish territory. Europe cannot manage or solve the refugee and migration crisis alone, states the resolution, but only together with all its partners worldwide. The response to the crisis, says the EPP, has to be coherent in internal and external policies and in particular must comprise measures aimed at countries of origin, transit and destination.
The EPP calls first and foremost for implementation of the first and second package of the European Agenda on Migration (27 May and 9 September 2015) with the aim of speeding up asylum procedures, fostering a common return policy and improving reception conditions for asylum seekers with the support of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), Frontex and other EU agencies.
It calls for strong action at the EU's external borders and revision of the Dublin system. The resolution states that the EU must reinforce its external borders by stepping up border controls both at sea and on land and that the mandate of the Frontex agency must be enlarged for that purpose. The EPP also calls on the Commission to pursue infringement procedures against those member states which do not comply with their obligations to protect the EU's external borders. Non-action, the resolution says, will ultimately jeopardise the Schengen acquis.
Pointing out that Greece has received €430 million from the asylum, migration and integration fund over the period from 2007 to 2013 as well as additional emergency aid and that Italy has received €388 million, the resolution calls on member states that are under great pressure and that cannot cope with the migration situation to seek the support of the EU and the other member states so that its border control responsibilities are met.
The EPP calls on member states to fully implement the existing minimum standards of the European asylum system but believes that total revision of the system is needed. It also calls for asylum requests to be assessed in the third countries or at the EU's external borders and for the Commission to bring forward proposals on this. “Hotspots” should be set up in third countries (this idea is being developed in the context of the Valetta summit) and a clear distinction operated between potential refugees and economic migrants, ideally with the two categories being separated before they arrive in the EU. The regulation does not call specifically for revision of the Dublin regulation but suggests the Commission revise the asylum acquis where shortcomings have been identified. EPP President Joseph Daul said a few day before the congress, nonetheless, that he believes that revision of the Dublin arrangements is necessary.
The resolution was drafted by the ministers of a group of countries (Austria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland and Spain) and will inform the discussions to follow, including on 9 November, at the extraordinary meeting of justice and home affairs ministers. The Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the EU wants to find out why is taking so long to carry out relocation decisions (just over a hundred refugees of the 160,000 pledged by the EU have so far been relocated). It also wants to ask ministers why the hotspots, particularly in Greece, are being set up so slowly and to address the problem of why some potential refugees are refusing to be registered in these hotspots. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)