On Thursday 28 June, despite the considerable drop in migration towards the European Union since 2015, Europeans are in a crisis situation having once more to face their inability to find a real European solution to the challenge of migration.
Member states are called upon to validate the concept of “regional disembarkation platforms” for migrants, outside the European Union, proposed by the European Commission last week in its memo to the European Council (see EUROPE 12046). This green light will make it possible to kick off work for consolidating the concept.
In his letter of invitation to European leaders, on Wednesday 27 June, the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, emphasised the need for this “scheme”. One diplomatic source said it is first and foremost a matter of “breaking the traffickers’ business model”.
Member states will be asked to agree that this concept be studied in greater depth with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, which have already indicated they are available to do so.
“Relevant” third countries, as Tusk says, will be involved, as the regional platforms for taking in migrants saved at sea will be located “outside Europe”.
In people’s minds Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria could be involved.
Hungary is thus fully in agreement with the concept of disembarkation platforms outside Europe, as this “identically” corresponds to what Budapest has been advocating for over two years, another diplomatic source said.
Alternatively, France is suggesting setting up closed centres within the EU. It notes that the stance taken by Italy, which has hitherto been hostile to the idea, is slowly changing.
Secondly, M. Tusk will ask member states to reach agreement on a budgetary instrument, a “facility” for specific management of migration, with management of flows such as aid to third countries. This instrument will be foreseen for the future multiannual financial framework post-2020 and will be sufficiently flexible to cope with any eventuality.
The third course of action raised was to step up: - aid that the EU provides for Libyan coastguards, that the EU has started to train, so they may intercept more boats in Libyan waters; - and cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
Tusk says Europeans “must effectively decide who enters European territory” and not leave such matters to populist forces alone. Failure to address this issue would be “a manifestation of our weakness and, above all, it could create the impression that Europe does not have an external border”, he added.
Germany will also underline the importance of limiting secondary movements of migrants within the Schengen Area, through negotiation of bilateral agreements between member states.
Reform of the so-called “Dublin” regulation on asylum is in limbo
The European Council president does not wish to speak of the internal dimension of migration policy. The ongoing reform of the so-called “Dublin” regulation on asylum thus, a priori, is no longer one of the questions that Tusk wishes to raise on Thursday evening.
Tusk takes the view that too much energy has been wasted over revision, the same diplomatic source said.
The gathering of home ministers in Luxembourg early June (see EUROPE 12034) had in fact shown that it would be very difficult to reach consensus on the draft regulation.
The Bulgarian compromise proposal, which seeks to strike a balance between solidarity (relocation of asylum seekers within the EU) and responsibility (length of period during which an asylum seeker may be looked after) would not at present win a qualified majority of member states.
Saying “it is not only Hungary or Poland blocking this”, our diplomatic source went on to say the leaders want to act “on the basis of consensus”.
The president of the European Council therefore proposes that the EU28 should call on Austria, which is to hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU during the second half of the year, to continue with this work.
“However, we are no longer fixing a final date for achieving consensus”, the source said, unlike the six-month period fixed by the leaders in December 2017.
The only breakthrough on the internal chapter of asylum policy would be that the EU28 agree to speed up finalisation of five texts of the “asylum” package (qualifications, Eurodac, European asylum agency, hosting and resettlement conditions), without waiting for an agreement on the two other texts of the legislative package (see EUROPE 12048).
According to a different source, however, discussion could take place regarding this final date and on how appropriate it is to set a new direction for achieving definitive reform of the European asylum system.
On Wednesday, given that there was no clear European framework, several member states decided to take in some of the migrants from the Lifeline, the German NGO boat. Ireland will take in 25 and Belgium 15. France and Malta have also made offers. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic and editorial staff)