BRUSSELS: The European Union will vote Wednesday on a vast overhaul of its immigration policies that would significantly harden entry procedures for asylum-seekers and require all the bloc’s member countries to share responsibility.
The proposed migration and asylum pact, initially presented by the European Commission in September 2020, is set to undergo scrutiny by the European Parliament. This overhaul, achieved after years of internal discord, aims to address mounting challenges amid a surge in asylum applications and irregular migrant entries across the 27-nation bloc.
According to data from the EU’s border and coast guard agency Frontex, asylum applications reached 1.14 million last year, the highest level since 2016, while irregular migrant entries into the bloc surged to 380,000.
Key elements of the reform include a solidarity mechanism mandating all EU countries to assist front-line states like Italy and Greece, either by accepting asylum-seekers or providing financial contributions. However, opposition to the pact stems from various quarters, including far-right, far-left, and socialist lawmakers.
Advocates of the reform, such as Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party, assert that the new rules would enable better control over external borders and alleviate pressure on the EU. While, NGOs and migrant charities express concerns over provisions that could lead to systematic detentions, particularly the establishment of border facilities for asylum-seekers.
Despite the contentious nature of the pact, French centrist lawmaker Fabienne Keller describes it as “very balanced” and emphasizes its improvements over the existing framework. However, criticism continues over aspects like sending asylum-seekers to “safe” third countries and the concept of offsetting financial obligations under the solidarity mechanism.
Lawmaker Raphael Glucksmann raises objections, cautioning against the outsourcing of EU borders and highlighting potential loopholes in the proposed mechanisms.
Amid the polarized debate, one point of agreement emerges regarding the establishment of a system to collect biometric data from arriving asylum-seekers, albeit with skepticism about its effectiveness in curbing mass irregular immigration.
