According to the agreement, countries that refuse to relocate asylum seekers on their territory must pay compensation (20,000 euros) for each of them.
The Ministers of the Interior of the European Union (EU) have managed to agree on a mechanism for the distribution of the reception of migrants. It is a system of “flexible solidarity”, i.e. it allows Member States to refuse to accept asylum seekers from other countries on their territory, but if they do, they will be obliged to pay 20,000 euros per rejected person.
However, this agreement is not the end of the road to reform, but sets the red lines for the 27 who now have to negotiate the final version of the regulations for the control and processing of asylum seekers European parliament; which in practice paves the way for achieving the objective of concluding the migration and asylum pact before the next European elections, in June next year.
“Thank you for such broad support for these two dossiers,” said Swedish Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, whose country holds the EU presidency. The agreement became possible after Italy lifted its reservation. Finally just hungary and poland they voted in return for of the agreement, although the delegations of Bulgaria, Malta, Slovakia and Lithuania abstained as they were also not satisfied with the text.
To ensure solidarity between states, EU countries will be able to choose between moving themselves from one member state to another or paying money if they refuse to accept asylum seekers. If they do not want to house people, they can also opt for operational measures, such as the deployment of staff. So, relocations are no longer mandatory.
As a novelty, the regulation introduces compulsory border procedures to enable a rapid assessment at the EU’s external borders to determine whether or not asylum applications are admissible. Persons undergoing the asylum procedure at the border are not allowed to enter the territory of the Member State.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
