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Kurz declares that plans to distribute refugees in the EU have failed
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Sebastian Kurz considers the proposals of the EU Commission inappropriate
Source: AFP / JOE KLAMAR
From the point of view of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, a distribution of refugees across Europe will not work. WELT had previously reported on the details of the EU Commission’s new reform initiative.
reAustrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described the distribution of refugees in the EU as “failed”. “Many states reject that. That won’t work either, ”the conservative politician said in an interview with the AFP news agency on Tuesday, a day before the EU Commission wants to present its new proposals for asylum reform that has been controversial for years in Brussels.
Conservative ÖVP’s politician called for better protection of the EU’s external borders and a more effective fight against traffickers, “but also more joint aid on the ground.”
He considers it “good that the European Commission is working on the issue of asylum and migration,” Kurz said. The problem can only be “solved throughout Europe”. However, Kurz rejected the use of terms like “solidarity” in the immigration debate. “Europe should have learned from 2015. And let’s just fight illegal immigration together,” said the Chancellor.
In short: even the smallest countries should be able to contribute interest
His country has made an “incredibly large contribution” to refugee policy, Kurz said. Often times, EU member states at external borders are especially considered when it comes to refugees and migrants. In fact, after Sweden and Germany, Austria is the “third most affected country” in the EU when it comes to hosting refugees. In the last five years, 200,000 people have been admitted to Austria.
Kurz stressed that smaller EU states should also have the opportunity to contribute their interests. “The European Union is more than Germany and France,” he emphasized. This is good too. As the two largest states in the EU, Germany and France “naturally have a certain right to be leaders.” However, other states would have “the same opportunity to contribute their ideas and seek majorities for them.”
As an example, Kurz cited the group of so-called frugals or thrifty four, which in addition to Austria is made up of the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. In the debate on the EU Crown reconstruction plan, the four states obtained a reduction in subsidies provided for the countries most affected by the crisis. With the other three “frugal states”, Austria shares “many approaches and interests,” Kurz said.
This is what the EU Commission plans
The Commission wants it to be mandatory for EU states to accept people who need protection in exceptional situations. Alternatively, governments could also provide assistance with the deportation of rejected asylum seekers, WELT reported on Tuesday, citing high-ranking EU diplomats. First of all, the solidarity of the other EU states should be voluntary, at least in certain settings. EU circles confirmed this.
Therefore, the EU Commission describes three scenarios: if things develop normally, the EU states can help voluntarily. Initially, this also applies to the second scenario, when the asylum system comes under pressure, provided that sufficient contributions are collected. In the event of a crisis, attendance should be mandatory. On Wednesday, the EU Commission wants to present a new proposal to reform the asylum migration policy that has been blocked for years, which the EU states and the European Parliament will then have to negotiate. EU states have been arguing for years about the distribution of applicants for protection.
The EU Commission intends to adhere largely to the currently valid Dublin principle, according to which the EU state is responsible for an asylum application on whose soil the person seeking protection first entered European soil . To deport rejected asylum seekers more quickly, the EU Commission suggests, according to WELT information, an “EU coordinator for returns” who should lead a working group.
