European Commission wants uniform return policy for migrants
Consensus among Member States on the return of failed asylum seekers is currently lacking. Therefore the Head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wants new legislation that provides for a uniform policy. Armin Cuyvers, Professor of European Law, commented on the issue on Dutch radio station BNR.
Migration is a major topic at the EU summit being held this week in Brussels. The common approach that Von der Leyen envisions will apply to the return policy for asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies. Part of this group does not return to their country of origin for a whole range of reasons, says Professor Cuyvers. Von der Leyen is aiming to achieve a higher outflow with new legislation. She also wants to ensure that fewer refugees reach Europe in the first place.
Migration is an important topic at the EU summit this week in Brussels. The common approach that Von der Leyen envisions should apply to a return policy for asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal remedies. Part of this group does not return for a whole range of reasons, says Professor Cuyvers. Von der Leyen wants to achieve a higher outflow with new legislation. She also wants to ensure that fewer refugees reach Europe in the first place.
According to Professor Cuyvers, Von der Leyen is under increasing pressure from Member States and her own party the EPP who are calling for stricter policy. 'She needs to make a gesture and acknowledge she has also heard these objections.' He also believes that Europe can harmonise policy on this issue. 'We’ve already made agreements and there’s a system in place.'
Calls for stricter rules are coming from several Member States, despite the package of new measures negotiated this summer after lengthy negotiations that some countries say are not strict enough. These Member States are seeking to keep migrants out of the Union by making deals with non-EU countries. Professor Cuyvers says that this ‘violates European law’.
Earlier this year, Italy launched a controversial experiment, a so-called intermediate variant, by deporting asylum seekers to centres in Albania even before they reach Italy's territorial waters. People who are stopped on the high seas are indeed not allowed to seek asylum.
For Von der Leyen, the condition is that the new legislation to be created must fully comply with European and international law.
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