Against the backdrop of worsening irregular migration, the European Union has decided to allocate “substantial funds” for reinforcing its border infrastructure, reports Die Welt. And it’s not just about booths, cameras and floodlights, but also walls and barbed wire fences. “This is a tipping point in the continent’s migration policy”, provoked, among other things, by the influx of refugees from Ukraine, the German publication explains.
The most important topic at the emergency summit held in Brussels was migration policy, writes Die Welt. European politicians have been postponing the discussion because the positions of the countries on the issue were too different and the chances of reaching an agreement were slim. But now it was necessary to look for a compromise because the pressure had become too great, says the German edition.
According to Frontex, the EU agency for external border security, in 2022 there were 330,000 irregular migrants who entered the union mainly through the Mediterranean Sea or the Western Balkans. Compared to 2021, the increase was 64%. Although this figure did not exceed the record of 2015 and 2016, when 1.8 million migrants arrived in the EU, the Europeans are now facing great difficulties, because in addition to all this they also received 4 million refugees from Ukraine.
Therefore, Brussels has agreed to allocate “substantial funds” to strengthen the border infrastructure. We are talking about new border booths, cameras and floodlights. “We will act to strengthen our external borders and stop irregular migration,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “This is a watershed moment in the continent’s migration policy,” Die Welt stated.
That said, the final communiqué from the summit makes no mention of walls and fences, but they are implied. The fact is that a number of countries, for example Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain, are against their construction, as it contradicts democratic values and human rights. And the European Commission itself, which manages the EU budget, refuses to finance such projects, but indirectly it will do so anyway, because money allocated for booths, cameras, floodlights and drones will free up funds in national budgets for fences, walls and barbed wire, Die Welt explains.
Creating just such a mechanism has been one of the central demands of a number of member states, most notably Austria. Its Chancellor Karl Nehammer has repeatedly called for the mere provision of funds, and what they are spent on is no longer important: “The main thing is to help Bulgaria. The fact is that for many migrants Bulgaria has become the “gateway to Europe”. In order to solve this problem, a 130-kilometer-long wall has been built in Bulgaria. Nehammer wants to spend €2 billion just to strengthen the wall. Due to the high number of illegal border crossings, Austria blocks Bulgaria from joining the Schengen Agreement. The Netherlands also supports her in this.
No other issue is more fracturing the EU than the migration issue. France has criticised Italy for not hosting a rescue ship that ended up anchored in a French port. Austria accused Hungary of failing to register migrants crossing the country. And Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte alleges that Bulgarians help migrants cross the border for a €50 bribe.
A lot of controversy arises precisely because countries are not equally affected by the current situation. Particularly many migrants try to get to Austria. There, the number of applications for refugee status has increased by 172%. In Spain, 79% and in Italy 54%. The EU is also tightening its refugee policy. Brussels wants to speed up the process of deporting those asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected. The union is also going to put more pressure on those countries that refuse to take back their citizens. The final communiqué includes the possibility of imposing visa restrictions on states that refuse to cooperate with the EU on repatriation.
Original news from InoTV
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