EU countries agree on part of asylum reform

In the fight against illegal migration, the EU states have agreed on stricter rules at the European external borders and a reform of the database for taking fingerprints. The permanent representatives of the 27 countries in Brussels took the necessary decisions on Wednesday, after the interior ministers had already reached a political agreement almost two weeks ago.

At the same time, 21 European countries joined a mechanism to support Mediterranean countries in dealing with asylum seekers. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) welcomed the decision on external borders and fingerprints, but at the same time reaffirmed resistance to accepting refugees. Austria will not accept any additional migrants through this mechanism and will not make any financial contribution. Karner sees a "completely wrong signal to the traffickers" in a redistribution.

For years, the EU countries have been deeply divided over the common asylum and migration policy. The sticking point is above all the question of how and whether those seeking protection should be distributed in the EU. States such as Poland, Hungary and Austria strictly reject a mandatory quota. Southern countries like Italy and Greece, where many migrants arrive, call for more support. In addition, countries such as Germany and the Netherlands are demanding stronger action against so-called secondary migration, i.e. people seeking protection moving from one EU country to the next.

Wednesday's agreement is the first tangible progress in migration policy in a long time. Now the EU states have to agree on a common position with the European Parliament.

Asylum seekers and other migrants are to fall under the new screening procedure at the external borders. Their identity should be checked and security and health checks should be carried out. For example, the screening should be carried out close to the external border and in a maximum of five days. Ultimately, it should be decided at the border who has no prospect of protection status. The organization Pro Asyl warned that the screening regulation would lead to the "mandatory introduction of de facto detention centers at Europe's borders".

The agreement on a reform of the Eurodac fingerprint database is intended, among other things, to make it easier to identify migrants who submit multiple applications. In addition, biometric data will also be recorded in the system in the future.

Participation in the solidarity mechanism, which is intended to relieve Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Malta and Spain, is voluntary. The states could either accept those seeking protection from the Mediterranean countries or help them in other ways - for example with money or benefits in kind. Two weeks ago, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) estimated that Germany and about eleven other countries would take in refugees.

According to the French EU Council Presidency, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Romania as well as the Non-EU members Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Source: Kleine Zeitung

Photo: Taha Jawashi/AFP via Getty Images.