On Thursday 12 July in Innsbruck (see EUROPE 12052, 12051), EU Ministers for the Interior attempted to provide an explanation about the heads of state and governments’ agreement on how to manage migration flows to the EU.
They were, however, unable to clarify any concrete models for the debarkation platforms in third countries for migrants rescued in international waters or identify which member states would be willing to host controlled migrant centres on their territory for those intercepted in international waters or those of a member state.
Austria stated, however, that it had received support about the new suggestion for pursuing work: opening return centres in third countries in view of recovering asylum seekers that were already in the EU. The areas where these centres could be created (the Balkans, Africa?) were not detailed.
This informal discussion in Innsbruck, at this stage, simply sought to provide an opportunity for expressing different points of view. Nonetheless, according to Herbert Kickl, the Austrian Minister for the Interior, during a press conference, this involved “using the dynamics that already exist for going forward in the right direction”.
According to the latter, this also helped to obtain a consensus on a number of factors. The first of them involves strengthening the means and mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex), which will be the subject of a specific proposal by the Commission in September (see EUROPE 12057).
On the question of returns, there is also unanimity amongst ministers on the need for establishing a system that provides both incentives and “sanctions” for countries of origin and transit that do not want to readmit their nationals or who are unable to claim asylum in the EU.
The Austrian Minister then pointed out that they needed “to work intensively on the debarkation platforms” and to begin this work with North African countries where these mechanisms will possibly be based. He added that these platforms must be legally coherent and “help us in our relations with third countries”. Mr Kickl did not, however, have anything to say about any particular progress on the controlled centres in the EU, except that few member states were willing to host them on their respective territories.
The Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said that this first day had been very productive: it helped to restate the necessity of finding common solutions to strengthen Frontex and facilitate returns action that will be developed in future proposals. The Commissioner pointed out that the EU “is not in a migration crisis situation” and he identified three areas for improving European action in this connection: - external border protection; cooperation with third countries in search and rescue operations at sea and in the modernisation of the European asylum and return systems.
The Commissioner was also extremely cautious on the question of the debarkation platforms that had to respect international agreements such as the Geneva convention. He hammered home the message that “we will not outsource our responsibilities” in the field of asylum and “nothing will be imposed on third countries” or on European countries.
The Commissioner, however, did not have anything to say about these possible centres outside of the EU that would host migrants in view of their return.
One source at the Commission later pointed out that “this is not our idea and we have not had a feeling that this has obtained much support” and suggested that returning asylum seekers to intermediate countries outside the EU might not be legal.
What should be made of this informal Ministerial meeting? Gérard Collomb, the French Minister said that “the discussion had been much calmer” than expected. He supported the idea of working with transit countries to strengthen their ability to intercept illegal migrants.
According to the latter, France had contemplated setting up information points in Niger for migrants who might be tempted to go to Libya but who could be dissuaded after having gone through these centres and which could be undertaken “at a large-scale EU level”.
The alliance of “those taking action”
There were several positive aspects to this meeting. Firstly, developing the thought processes of the Austrian Presidency of the Council, which will be preparing a note for European leaders in view of the informal summit on migration on 20 September in Salzburg.
It particularly enabled the respective German and Italian ministers, Horst Seehofer and Matteo Salvini, to put themselves to the fore, with both men having met the preceding evening.
In a joint declaration, the German minister indicated that the two parties were going to work on updating a bilateral agreement on managing secondary migration flows within the Schengen area, if possible by the end of July.
Without contradicting him, his Italian counterpart insisted on the “solidarity” section and the distribution of migrants between EU countries.
The two men, however, highlighted the same objective for preventing migrants rescued at sea arriving in the EU.
On Thursday morning, they discussed this issue with Mr Kickl. The three leaders even sealed an alliance of “those taking action”. According to the Austrian Minister, this alliances is based on “a change in the paradigm” and essentially aims to prevent people coming to the EU and submitting asylum requests and being very clear about what will happen to them (possible return to debarkation platforms in third countries) if they are unable to claim protection in the EU. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)