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Thousands of refugees may lose right of asylum under EU plans Thousands of refugees may lose right of asylum under EU plans
(about 5 hours later)
European governments are aiming to deny the right of asylum to innumerable thousands of refugees by funding and building camps for them in Africa and elsewhere outside the EU, under plans being discussed by ministers in Brussels on Monday evening. European governments are aiming to deny the right of asylum to innumerable refugees by funding and building camps for them in Africa and elsewhere outside the European Union.
An emergency meeting of interior ministers called to grapple with Europe’s worst modern refugee crisis was also expected to call for the establishment of refugee camps in Italy and Greece and for the detention of “irregular migrants” denied asylum and facing deportation but for whom “voluntary return” was not currently “practicable”. Under plans endorsed in Brussels on Monday evening, EU interior ministers agreed that once the proposed system of refugee camps outside the union was up and running, asylum claims from people in the camps would be inadmissible in Europe.
The ministers faced a bruising battle over whether Europe should adopt a new system of mandatory quotas for sharing refugees. The scheme, proposed by the European commission last week, is strongly supported by Germany which sought to impose the idea on the rejectionists mainly in eastern Europe.
Related: Hungary transports refugees to Austria before border clampdownRelated: Hungary transports refugees to Austria before border clampdown
Hungary’s hardline anti-immigration government said it would have no part of the scheme, from which it would benefit, while Thomas de Maiziere, the German interior minister, complained that the agenda for the meeting was inadequate. The emergency meeting of interior ministers was called to grapple with Europe’s worst modern refugee crisis. It broke up in acrimony amid failure to agree on a new system of binding quotas for refugees being shared across the EU and other decisions being deferred until next month.
The ministers agreed to share 160,000 refugees across at least 22 countries, taking them from Greece, Hungary, and Italy, but they sought to delay a formal decision until next month, made plain the scheme should be voluntary rather than binding and demanded “flexibility”. De Maiziere, by contrast, called for precise definitions of how refugees would be shared. The lacklustre response to a refugee emergency that is turning into a full-blown European crisis focussed on “Fortress Europe” policies aimed at excluding refugees and shifting the burden of responsibility on to third countries, either of transit or of origin.
A draft statement prepared in advance for the meeting went further than previous proposals about outsourcing asylum-processing to countries mainly in Africa where “reception centres” or refugee camps would be built. The ministers called for the establishment of refugee camps in Italy and Greece and for the detention of “irregular migrants” denied asylum and facing deportation but for whom “voluntary return” was not currently “practicable”.
The most bruising battle was over whether Europe should adopt a new system of mandatory quotas for sharing refugees. The scheme, proposed by the European commission last week, is strongly supported by Germany which sought to impose the idea on the rejectionists mainly in eastern Europe.
Hungary’s hardline anti-immigration government said it would have no part of the scheme, from which it would benefit, while Thomas de Maizière, the German interior minister, complained that the agenda for the meeting was inadequate.
Related: Refugees confounded by Merkel’s decision to close German bordersRelated: Refugees confounded by Merkel’s decision to close German borders
In what will be seen by humanitarian and refugee professionals as a draconian step, the statement said: “Implementation shall start on a medium-term strategy aimed at developing safe and sustainable reception capacities in the affected regions and providing lasting prospects and adequate procedures for refugees and their families until return to their country of origin is possible.” The ministers agreed “in principle” to share 160,000 refugees across at least 22 countries, taking them from Greece, Hungary, and Italy, but delayed a formal decision until next month, made plain the scheme should be voluntary rather than binding and demanded ‘flexibility’. De Maizière, by contrast, called for precise definitions of how refugees would be shared.
Once the system was up and running, EU members would be “in a position to find asylum applications of these persons inadmissible on safe third-country grounds”. Luxembourg, chairing the meeting, signalled that there was a sufficient majority to impose the quotas, but that the meeting had balked at forcing a vote.
The ministers went further than previous proposals about outsourcing asylum-processing to countries mainly in Africa where “reception centres” or refugee camps would be built. In what will be seen by humanitarian and refugee professionals as draconian, the statement said: “Implementation shall start on a medium-term strategy aimed at developing safe and sustainable reception capacities in the affected regions and providing lasting prospects and adequate procedures for refugees and their families until return to their country of origin is possible.”
Once the system was functioning, EU members would be “in a position to find asylum applications of these persons inadmissible on safe third country grounds”.
The proposal was supported by the home secretary, Theresa May. She said: “We also need to be setting up removal centres in transit countries in Africa. By doing these things we can be sure we offer protection to those who need it and return the economic migrants who do not.”The proposal was supported by the home secretary, Theresa May. She said: “We also need to be setting up removal centres in transit countries in Africa. By doing these things we can be sure we offer protection to those who need it and return the economic migrants who do not.”
Claude Moraes, the Labour MEP who chairs the European parliament’s civil liberties committee, said the proposal was invidious.Claude Moraes, the Labour MEP who chairs the European parliament’s civil liberties committee, said the proposal was invidious.
“The principle of asylum must be preserved at the heart of one of the key proposals. The idea of safe countries could potentially corrupt this right,” said Moraes who worked for many years as an immigration lawyer.“The principle of asylum must be preserved at the heart of one of the key proposals. The idea of safe countries could potentially corrupt this right,” said Moraes who worked for many years as an immigration lawyer.
The meeting took place as curbs on free movement across Europe snowballed following Germany’s unilateral and controversial decision on Sunday to re-establish national border controls at the centre of Europe’s free-travel Schengen area of 26 countries. The European commissioner for migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, admitted that the proposed policy was flawed since target countries in Africa were “not willing” to host EU-sponsored refugee camps on their soil.
Austria and Slovakia followed suit on Monday, while the Dutch said they were stepping up “border area patrols” and the Belgian authorities said they were considering parallel action. Monday night’s meeting took place as curbs on free movement across Europe snowballed following Germany’s unilateral and controversial decision on Sunday to re-establish national border controls at the centre of Europe’s free-travel Schengen area of 26 countries. Austria and Slovakia followed suit on Monday, while the Dutch said they were stepping up “border area patrols” and the Belgian authorities said they were considering parallel action. The Hungarians are to implement draconian border controls from Tuesday, criminalising migrants who cross the border from Serbia without permission.
The Hungarians are to implement draconian border controls from Tuesday, criminalising migrants who cross the border from Serbia without permission, following the completion of a 110-mile fence and blocking off of the main refugee crossing point along a railway line on Monday. The political disarray was reflected in the chaos on the ground as thousands sought to beat the new rules in Hungary by entering from Serbia. The Hungarians filled trains to Austria where the borders to Germany were clogged as a result of the new German regime.
The prime minister, Viktor Orbán, told Hungary’s TV2 he expected a high rate of asylum requests to be rejected after the new rules took effect from midnight, with failed applicants sent back to Serbia. He was also quoted as saying a state of emergency was “likely” to be introduced in the border area from Tuesday. The ministers called for the quick creation of refugee camps in Greece and Italy and for the detention of those failing to win asylum but who could not be deported from the EU quickly and who might move on to other EU countries.
The political disarray was reflected in the chaos on the ground as thousands sought to beat the new rules in Hungary by entering from Serbia. The Hungarians filled trains to Austria, where the borders to Germany were clogged as a result of the new German regime “Reception will be duly organised so as to temporarily accommodate people until a decision is quickly taken on their situation. When voluntary return is not practicable ... detention measures should be applied urgently and effectively.”
The statement drafted for the interior ministers said that “reception facilities will be organised so as to temporarily accommodate people” in Greece and Italy while they are identified, registered, and finger-printed. Asylum claims are to be processed quickly and those who fail are to be deported promptly, the draft said.
“It is crucial that robust mechanisms become operational immediately in Italy and Greece to ensure identification, registration and fingerprinting of migrants; to identify persons in need of international protection and support their relocation; and to identify irregular migrants to be returned.”
The Europeans are to set up new “rapid border intervention teams” to be deployed at “sensitive external borders”. People denied asylum who are expected to try to move to another EU country from Greece or Italy can be placed in detention, the draft said.
“When voluntary return is not practicable and other measures on return are inadequate to prevent secondary movements, detention measures ... should be applied.”