The Austrian government aims to outsource applications for asylum procedures to third states such as Rwanda in a move that would reduce migration significantly, Chancellor Karl Nehammer told die Welt on Monday.
In June, EU countries reached a controversial agreement on a new EU migration deal that would tighten European migration rules to reduce migration into the bloc, such as introducing fast-track asylum procedures at EU borders.
But Austria wants the EU to go one step further.
“Austria will continue to do its utmost in the EU to create the political and legal conditions for asylum procedures to be carried out already outside the EU. We will not give in,” Nehammer told die Welt on Monday.
“Corresponding agreements with third countries are possible, as the example of Rwanda shows – the African country has already reached an agreement with Denmark,” Nehammer added.
Such a move would reduce migration significantly as migrants would not set foot on European soil in the first place and would “no longer be able to go into hiding in the EU or apply for asylum in several European countries at the same time”, the chancellor said.
A prime example of this shift is the controversial deal the EU struck with Tunisia in July, which aims to reduce migration flows. “The agreement between Tunisia and the EU on limiting illegal migration is groundbreaking,” he stated in the interview.
However, the deal with Rwanda may not be entirely legal.
The United Kingdom agreed with Rwanda to pay more than $152 million in development funding, plus processing and integration costs for asylum seekers from the UK. Those seeking to file for asylum in Britain would be sent to Rwanda, processed, and if approved, they would be granted protection in the African state and not allowed to come to the UK.
However, the British government’s plan has hit several stumbling blocks, not least a legal decision from one of the country’s top courts, which rejected it as unlawful. It is not known how Vienna’s plan will sit with the country and EU laws.
While member states have already agreed on their position, the final migration deal has yet to be negotiated with the European Parliament. A majority of EU lawmakers already said they would take a softer approach and will oppose some of the more restrictive positions of the member states.
(Oliver Noyan | EURACTIV.de)
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