Fifteen Member States, led by Denmark, wrote to the European Commission on Wednesday evening (15 May) calling for new solutions to prevent irregular migration to the EU, including an adjustment of the ‘safe third country’ concept to allow asylum seekers to be transferred to third countries where they would have a solid alternative.
This letter, which is primarily addressed to the next Commission, was sent two days after the final adoption of the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ and the ‘Asylum Package’ (see EUROPE 13409/16).
In order to decrease the overall pressure on our migration management, it is important that Member States have the possibility to transfer those asylum applicants for whom a safe third country alternative is available to such countries, write the competent ministers from Denmark, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Finland, the Czech Republic and Romania.
Consequently, the application of the ‘safe third country’ concept should not be seen as an obstacle to the integration of asylum seekers.
The ministers “share a belief that the EU needs to continue to work to create a fairer, more humane, sustainable and efficient asylum system worldwide, aimed at preventing and addressing irregular migration at its roots and along the migratory routes, while providing adequate protection and shelter for those in need, and fostering return and reintegration. Unfortunately, we are far from that goal”, they write in their preamble.
“The current challenges regarding the EU’s asylum and migration system, including a sharp increase in irregular arrivals, are unsustainable. Our central responsibility and commitment are to uphold stability and social cohesion and avoid risking polarisation in European societies and loss of unity in the family of EU Member States”.
Countries along migration routes play an indispensable role in receiving large numbers of refugees, the ministers add, proposing that the EU and its Member States should “enhance their contribution to equal, constructive and broad partnerships with key countries, especially along the migratory routes, by changing our focus from managing irregular migration in Europe to supporting refugees as well as host communities in regions of origin”.
Different ideas for optimising these partnerships should be explored, including models inspired by the EU-Turkey Statement and the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding, as well as cooperation on regular pathways in accordance with national law and national labour market needs.
These countries also suggest setting up “return” hubs in third countries for people illegally resident in the EU, where returnees could be transferred pending their final expulsion.
This could involve revising the Return Directive.
When asked about this, the Commission said on Thursday 16 May that it “needed time” to study the letter.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/c88 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)