Home Affairs Ministerial Summit – Aldermen, but not Schengen as EU points of contention

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At a special meeting in Brussels on Friday, EU home affairs ministers will discuss the growing problems of illegal migration. The main aim is to settle the dispute over the reception of boat people, who are picked up by the rescue ships of aid organizations in the Mediterranean and brought to the EU. The discussion of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) about the expansion of Schengen is not on the agenda.

Ministers could bring up Schengen, but the real debate will not take place until early December, diplomats said on Wednesday. Karner made it clear last Friday that Austria rejects the European Commission’s wish to expand the Schengen region to include Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.

Nehammer puts the threat into perspective
The threat against Croatia was later put into perspective by Chancellor Karl Nehammer: “We will support Croatia’s path to the Schengen area, and at the same time we will be very critical of Bulgaria’s and Romania’s efforts,” Nehammer said in Zagreb on Wednesday. .

Debate on refugee ships
Italy had recently refused a refugee ship entry into a port, after which it had to go to France. The government in Paris was outraged and pointed out that rescue ships actually have the right to go to the nearest port.

Italy, on the other hand, denounces the lack of solidarity in other EU countries when it comes to hosting refugees and calls for more support. In addition, the crews of rescue ships are accused of promoting the trade of smuggling gangs with their deployment in the Mediterranean. Most recently, these brought people from Tunisia, Egypt and Bangladesh on the life-threatening journey to the EU.

New anti-tug program
The basis for talks between interior ministers should be an action plan presented by the European Commission last Monday. In particular, it aims to step up cooperation with countries of origin and transit and launch a new program against human smuggling in North Africa. There could be a special framework and guidelines from the International Maritime Organization for the use of private rescue vessels at sea, which repeatedly bring hundreds of migrants to European ports.

In addition, better use should be made of the solidarity mechanism voluntarily supported by around 20 EU countries. It was launched in June to support countries where large numbers of boat people arrive. Prior to the ministerial meeting, diplomats criticized that the action plan was little more than a compilation of old measures and proposals. Far-reaching decisions are not expected.

53 percent more migrants in Italy
More than 94,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, according to the Interior Ministry in Rome. Compared to the same period last year, the number increased by about 53 percent. The responsible EU Commissioner, Ylva Johansson, described the situation as unsustainable on Monday, also pointing out that very few people who arrive leave their home countries due to political persecution.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called on interior ministers to “put security and solidarity at the center of their actions in the Mediterranean and all other migratory routes”. As states pointed at each other and blamed others, lives were lost — nearly 2,000 this year, according to UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi.

Source: Krone

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