The European Commission’s position on the financing of ‘anti-migrant’ walls at the EU’s external borders from the EU budget, as currently requested by Austria, has “not changed”, Eric Mamer, the institution's spokesman, said on 27 January. It is still opposed to financing “walls”.
The day before, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a letter to the heads of state and government, who will meet on 9 and 10 February in Brussels, to discuss, among other things, migration flows to the EU. In 2022, more than 300,000 irregular border crossings were recorded by Frontex and 924,000 asylum applications were lodged in the EU27.
As EU ministers and representatives of interior ministers met in Stockholm on the same day to discuss how to increase the return rates of irregular migrants in the EU (see EUROPE 13108/5), the Commission President outlined a series of proposals in four areas. These proposals were: to strengthen external borders; to address shortcomings in the implementation of return procedures at the border; to combat secondary movement as well as to ensure effective solidarity between Member States; and finally, to increase return rates and cooperation with third countries.
The President, who also welcomes the new momentum in the EU Council on the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and its legislative texts, puts forward several proposals. On external borders, she proposes to continue to mobilise Frontex and European funds to help Member States protect their external borders, in particular by means of border control infrastructures and surveillance equipment. However, the President does not directly refer to EU funding for fixed or mobile infrastructure. The Commission has always said that “we don’t finance walls”, added Eric Mamer.
The voluntary relocation mechanism launched under the French Presidency of the EU Council (and to be made permanent in the Pact on Migration and Asylum) can also be used to relieve Member States under pressure from large numbers of arrivals.
Capacities to prevent the departure of migrants from third countries such as Libya, Egypt and Tunisia should also be strengthened with support for surveillance operations, although the Commission does not mention new funding.
On speeding up border procedures, the President proposes a pilot project in early 2023 with interested Member States to implement the ‘screening’ of migrants, a fast-track asylum procedure at the border (based on a list of safe third countries), and immediate return, with the assistance of EU agencies.
In addition, by spring 2023, a recommendation will be proposed for Member States to recognise each other’s return decisions. This mutual recognition mechanism will be implemented via the Schengen Information System, the President announced.
On secondary movement, the European Asylum Agency will be asked to produce a major report, in mid-2023, with all available data, followed by periodic evaluations. Member States are also invited to simplify the procedures for organising relocations of migrants/asylum seekers.
Regarding returns, the Commission will continue to strengthen its cooperation with countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Morocco and Nigeria, as well as partnerships to combat migrant smuggling. Legal channels should not be forgotten, with the President also proposing the more decisive use of refugee resettlement tool and talent partnerships (labour migration).
In any case, some sources in the European Parliament welcomed these proposals, which have the merit of “restoring the balance” in relation to a Swedish Presidency of the EU Council which is “close to its extreme right on this issue” and advocates harsher solutions.
EPP group in the European Parliament to present its priorities
On 30 January, the EPP group in the European Parliament will present its ideas on how to respond to migratory flows. The group’s chairman, Germany’s Manfred Weber, is in favour of EU funding for anti-migrant fences, and sources say the group is divided over von der Leyen’s position, which is seen as too weak.
The EPP group would also be tempted, according to the same sources, to politicise migration and Ursula von der Leyen’s response in order to start supporting other candidates in 2024 for the Commission Presidency.
European Parliament sets March target for most Asylum Pact mandates
In the meantime, the European Parliament rapporteurs are preparing the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’, with the end of a written consultation scheduled for the evening of Tuesday 31 January. An agreement would be reached in a vote on the mandates (and thus the opening of trilogues with the EU Council) on the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR), the Asylum Procedures Regulation and the Crisis Management Instrument at the end of March, as well as the Screening Regulation, which is also scheduled for the end of March.
In exchange, the European Parliament would ask the EU Council to start trilogues, by June at the latest, on the first three dossiers for which the EU Council does not yet have a mandate, unlike ‘screening’. Furthermore, without progress on these three dossiers, in particular on the ‘solidarity’ aspect contained in the AMMR, the European Parliament would put the trilogues on ‘screening’ and Eurodac (negotiations started at the end of December) on hold.
Link to Ursula von der Leyen’s letter: https://aeur.eu/f/546 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)