At the European level, Germany is calling for supervised, regulated but open immigration.
Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, supports the idea, not new, of a fair distribution of refugees within the European Union.
Since 1999, the European Union has attempted to develop an asylum policy. The 2023 reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) provides for the registration of all migrants, as well as the establishment of a distribution mechanism, which has, in the past, been the point of contention between member states.
Certain Eastern European states, such as Poland and Hungary in particular, have opposed, since the 2015 migration crisis, a “diktat” from Brussels requiring them, in solidarity with the countries of the South, to welcome non-European asylum seekers.
Last June, the German minister spoke in the context of the reform of the common European asylum system, evoking a necessary decision-making “to prevent Europe from falling apart”.
Berlin is not in favor of introducing a “crisis regulation” which would allow southern countries to react in a “more flexible” manner in the event of a particularly high influx of refugees.
Annalena Baerbock fears that in this case, they will be systematically sent back to Germany.
End the chaos
The minister thus wants to put an end to the “chaos”, according to her, of unregistered migrants within the European Union, which would be a threat to a lasting opening of the internal borders of the EU.
We must establish clear regulations at our external borders which finally allow an orderly distribution of migrants by country. This is why we, in Germany, supported the idea of setting up a registration procedure at the gates of Europe at the beginning of the summer. At the time, this provoked discussions but we need it to guarantee a fair distribution of the burden,” said the head of German diplomacy.
Fair distribution
The German Minister of Foreign Affairs also adds that, “it is clear that we have welcomed almost a million Ukrainian refugees, which is a huge gesture of solidarity. We must now, through regulations at European level, “establish a fair distribution and ensure that municipalities are not overwhelmed. With a rapid registration process at the borders and also a rapid capacity to push back people who cannot stay in Europe.”
The minister reaffirmed her position, two days after Pope Francis condemned indifference to the fate of migrants in the Mediterranean.
Annalena Baerbock tweeted: “The European asylum system must finally see the light of day. A European migration order that works is more urgent than ever.”
The European Parliament and the Council must give their agreement, by the end of the year, in order to decide on new clear rules.
This article is originally published on dw.com
