GRANADA: A tense atmosphere enveloped the European Union (EU) summit in Spain as Poland and Hungary expressed strong opposition to the planned changes in Europe’s migration system. The leaders of these countries vowed to veto the proposals, setting the stage for a heated confrontation just days after member states had approved a crucial agreement.
At the European Political Community (EPC) summit held in Granada, EU leaders engaged in heated discussions, particularly concerning overhauling the rules on asylum seekers and irregular migrants. Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki labeled the plans as a “diktat” from Brussels and Berlin, emphasizing Poland’s strong rejection of admitting illegal immigrants against their will.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban took a more confrontational stance, likening the proposed legislation to being “legally raped.” He adamantly stated that there was no room for compromise on migration, adding that politically, a consensus was impossible due to the perceived imposition on their sovereignty.
Migration Issue for EU Member States
Migration has emerged as one of the most contentious issues among EU member states, with thousands of asylum seekers recently landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa, underscoring the urgency for a unified European response. Despite the urgency, Spain, holding the European presidency, did not include the crisis on Thursday’s EPC summit’s agenda, leading to frustration among several nations, including Italy and Britain.
During a side meeting, Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Britain’s Rishi Sunak, supported by France and the Netherlands, advocated for a stringent plan to prevent asylum-seeker boats from setting off for Europe. In a joint op-ed, they emphasized that the current approach was not effective and urged other leaders to act urgently against human smuggling gangs.
Earlier this week, member states had approved the final part of an overhaul of rules on handling asylum seekers and irregular migrants, aiming to relieve pressure on frontline countries like Italy and Greece by redistributing some arrivals to other EU states. Those opposed to hosting asylum seekers would be required to pay those that do. While Meloni expressed satisfaction with Europe’s direction on migration, Hungary and Poland continued to vehemently oppose the pact, striving for unanimity on migration reform.
The EU summit’s draft text emphasized the need to immediately address illegal immigration and emphasized the EU’s determination to establish comprehensive partnerships with countries of origin and transit, underscoring the complexity of the issue that continues to divide EU member states.
