Criticism of going it alone – press commentary on asylum policy: “Needs more speed”

“Neue Zürcher Zeitung” calls for more speed and determination
“Even the leading nations in their moral self-assurance, such as Sweden, the Netherlands and now gradually Germany, must admit that they are overwhelmed by the demands of integrating hundreds of thousands of immigrants from distant religious, social, cultural and educational countries. contexts placed on it. (…)

Much more speed and determination is needed so that migrants without grounds for asylum – the majority of those arriving – can be effectively deterred from traveling or deported to their countries of origin. The latter only happens in 20 percent of cases throughout Europe.

There is a lot at stake. If European asylum policy continues at such a quiet and contradictory pace, the entire asylum law will ultimately be up for grabs. At some point, the population will no longer be willing to distinguish between legitimate asylum seekers in need and illegal immigrants simply hoping for a better life in Europe. She will oppose all illegal immigrants. Anyone who wants to save the humanitarian tradition of the right to asylum must act decisively now.”

“de Volkskrant”: Tusk wants to reduce migration before the elections
“Poland’s concerns are understandable. The country is being hit by hybrid warfare: Russia and Belarus are allowing migrants to pass as far as the Polish border – in the hope of destabilizing Poland and the European Union. In this way, Poland is being attacked by a country that is trying to use countless means to break European resistance to its war of aggression in Ukraine. (…)

However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s plan appears to stem not only from genuine concerns about Russia’s hybrid warfare, but also from a desire to drastically reduce migration ahead of next year’s presidential elections. (…)

A stricter migration policy is only possible in a European context and with respect for the rule of law. Otherwise, there is a risk that Member States will outdo each other with tough measures – in the hope of sending migrants to other countries. That would be catastrophic for the rule of law and for migrants, but also for mutual trust within the European Union.”

“De Standaard”: The debate in Italy is far from over
“Italy is not giving up on asylum procedures. The big advantage of such a third country is – at least on paper – that asylum seekers are not received on Italian territory. This only happens once an application has been approved. It is less clear what happens if an asylum application is rejected. In principle, those affected should then be sent back to their country of origin. But what happens if this country refuses any cooperation? Nobody knows that.

The legal discussion about the system also appears to be far from over. At first glance it conflicts with all kinds of international conventions and the values ​​that Europe claims to uphold. Moreover, it remains unclear whether many countries will be willing to open their territories to such procedures, even if there are financial incentives to do so. The fundamental question is whether such return centers are not old wine in new bottles. Years ago, some in Europe dreamed of ‘regional deportation platforms’ in North Africa. But due to a lack of interest in these countries, such projects have not yet been realized.”

“ABC” (Madrid) demands a solution from Brussels
“What years ago seemed like initiatives that contradicted the European spirit of hospitality are now finding their way into the political discourse in Europe. Germany has introduced border controls, effectively eliminating the Schengen area, and Poland plans to restrict asylum rights to curb immigration sponsored by Russia and Belarus. In short, there is a general view that Europe can no longer respond to the problem of illegal immigration with the same patterns as in previous decades, because these are no longer effective in guaranteeing orderly migration – and because they lead to unilateral measures by the Member States. . (…)

Brussels’ approach to illegal immigration needs to be updated urgently, but not hastily. (…) The praise of multiculturalism and the diversity that immigration brings has been used to weaken the cohesion of European societies and to undermine the political identification of immigrants with the values ​​of equality and freedom that exist in some of their countries reduce existence. origins are little appreciated.”