“Since 2015 everyone said that I am an idiot or evil to have this point of view. But at the end of the day everyone is going to agree with me in the end,” said Viktor Orbán in Strasbourg last week.
The Hungarian prime minister’s words are starting to sound more like a prophecy, as we witness a significant shift in how leaders approach and discuss migration policies in the EU.
The trend appears to encompass the entire political spectrum. From growing calls to opt out of migration policies, led by far-right figures like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Viktor Orbán in Hungary, to progressive leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and even from outside the EU, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, showing interest in Italy’s controversial offshore migration deal with Albania.
Questions persist over what drove this shift in the EU’s migration narrative, as the focus on solidarity, responsibility sharing and unity has now been replaced by member states advocating for tougher measures.
The EU’s migration debate now focuses almost exclusively on combating smugglers, addressing instrumentalisation, tightening border controls, and reinforcing the external dimension of migration.
Externalisation efforts ramped up following the 2015 migration crisis, which highlighted the weaknesses of the EU’s asylum system and exacerbated internal divisions. This crisis underscored the need for a unified and integrated approach across the Union.
“This is also a long-term trend,” said Giuseppe Campesi, Associate Professor in Law and Society at the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Bari. “Starting with the agreement with Turkey, then the strengthened collaboration between Italy and Tunisia, and now the European Union’s partnership with Tunisia,” he added.
After the 2015 crisis, the EU has actively pursued reforms to promote a more integrated migration strategy.
After all, as the most quoted saying of founding father Jean Monnet goes, “Europe will be forged in crisis” and will be the “sum of the solutions adopted for those crises.”
In May 2020, the newly established von der Leyen Commission announced its plan to introduce the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was ultimately approved in April this year amid considerable criticism from both governments and NGOs.
But it seemed that lessons were learned when, in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution to activate the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), reviving the long-dormant “sleeping beauty” of the EU asylum system to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the conflict.
Two years later, however, the Ukrainian crisis stands as a unique circumstance that did not indicate a shift in the European Union’s strategy, especially as the political discourse surrounding migration becomes harsher.
On the eve of the October European Council, which is expected to focus on migration, the push for a stricter migration policy is more evident than ever.
The Commission’s letter sent to member states on Monday (October 14) outlines plans for innovative strategies to combat illegal migration, explicitly mentioning the “development of return hubs outside the EU.”
In the approved New Pact, “the idea of containment at the border is very strong, particularly the concept of mandatory border procedures involving detention,” Campesi said.
The new rules will affect border infrastructure by necessitating the establishment of detention centres, imposing significant costs on the countries of first arrival.
“Until now, border procedures existed, but they were not mandatory and did not necessarily involve detention. However, that will no longer be the case,” he added.
The letter sent by the Commission also references the “Italy-Albania protocol,” as the EU “will also be able to draw lessons from this experience in practice,” further normalising the offshore model, that now represents a practice from which the EU can learn and potentially expand.
Just last year, former Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović highlighted some controversial aspects of the pact, stating that it raises concerns for human rights “and adds to a worrying European trend towards the externalisation of asylum responsibilities.”
“It seems that Italy is partially preparing for the implementation of new rules on border asylum procedures and returns, which have yet to be approved but are set to take effect in 2026,” Campesi added.
The Roundup
Euractiv has obtained a briefing note for the incoming Commissioner for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra, ahead of his hearing before the European Parliament on 7 November.
European regions fear the centralisation of agricultural, and regional funds management. For regions, it is not only a matter of budget.
The European Parliament could block the approval of the next seven-year EU budget if the Commission and member states fail to boost transparency on the disbursement of the bloc’s multibillion pandemic recovery fund, a senior MEP said on Tuesday (15 October).
EU environment ministers concluded on Monday (14 October) that the implementation of the chemicals strategy for sustainability is far behind schedule and urged the Commission to fulfill its promise to revise the REACH Regulation.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has set out key goals for a future EU migration policy, including exploring deportation hubs in non-EU countries – but France has warned that legal challenges await.
With the European Union struggling to address Israel’s possible violations of international humanitarian law, next month’s foreign minister’s talks could see a discussion of what to do about trade ties with Tel Aviv.
Ten years after the Berlin Process was launched to accelerate the EU accession of Western Balkan states, the slow speed of the rapprochement was a key issue at the jubilee summit in Berlin, underlined by the dragging resolution of regional blockades.
Bulgaria will not give unconditional support to the EU integration of the Western Balkans, amid constant conflicts between the institutions in Sofia and Skopje, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, said in Berlin on Monday.
The European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) overcame opposition from the far right to overwhelmingly approve the Commission’s proposed €35 billion loan to Ukraine on Monday (14 October), clearing the way for the first payout by the end of this year.
Czech officials have expressed hope that former Lithuanian prime minister Andrius Kubilius, the man tipped to join von der Leyen’s team as European commissioner for Defence and Space, will put an end to Europe’s “dreaming” on defence and push for more practical action.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen defended herself in court on Monday in a case investigating allegations of the misappropriation of funds granted to MEPs, insisting the assistants were just doing politics.
Look out for
- Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee and FEPS organise in Brussels, Belgium a conference on “Computer in Command: do the consequences of Algorithmic Management for Workers require EU policy action?”
- CEPS organises in Brussels, Belgium a book launch conference on “How can the European Commission combine urgency and flexibility in forming industry alliances?”
- IIEA organises in Dublin, Ireland, a hybrid conference “Geopolitical Turbulence and its Effects on the Global Aviation Industry.”
- EPC organises in Brussels, Belgium, a conference in hybrid format, “Europe’s hidden champions: Unlocking the potential of mid-caps for competitiveness and security.”
- EPC organises in Brussels, Belgium a conference “Middle East on the brink: Potential paths for de-escalation?”
- FEPS organises in Brussels, Belgium a two-day conference on the study “Beyond the Border – The implications of Brexit for the island of Ireland.”
- First EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Brussels, Belgium.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Prime Minister of Estonia Kristen Michal.
- EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell attends the 4th European Defence and Security Conference in Brussels, Belgium.
- Borell will also attend the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit
- European Parliament President Roberta Metsola meets Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
- European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen is in Senegal, where she will meet the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
- European Commissioner Helena Dalli delivers an online keynote speech for ILGA Europe’s annual conference in Bucharest, Romania.
- European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni meets with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, in New York, United States.
[Edited by Owen Morgan/Rajnish Singh]
Source: euractiv.com