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European Union Ministers Approve Plan to Distribute Refugees European Union Ministers Approve Plan to Distribute Refugees
(about 1 hour later)
BRUSSELS — European Union ministers on Tuesday approved a plan for individual countries in the bloc to accept a share of the hundreds of thousands of refugees seeking asylum on the continent — but only after overruling four former Soviet bloc countries. BRUSSELS — European Union ministers approved a plan on Tuesday that would compel member countries to take in 120,000 migrants seeking refuge on the Continent — but only after overruling four countries in Central Europe.
The home affairs and interior ministers, meeting in an emergency session here, voted on a plan to apportion 120,000 refugees — still only a small fraction of those flowing into Europe — among members of the European Union. The plan to apportion the migrants, still only a small fraction of those flowing into Europe, was approved by home affairs and interior ministers of the member countries after a vigorous debate.
The dissenters were the ministers representing the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Under European law, three of the countries — the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia — would be required to accept migrants against their will, said one European Union diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity shortly after the vote. In a departure from normal procedures that emphasize consensus, particularly on questions of national sovereignty, the ministers took a formal vote. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted no. Finland abstained.
The idea behind the plan is to relieve the pressure on front-line nations like Italy and Greece, which migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and African have been flooding. The plan still needs to be ratified on Wednesday by leaders from across the 28-member bloc, who will gather here for an emergency summit meeting. It is not clear if the dissenting countries, which have vigorously opposed mandatory quotas, will comply.
France and Germany back a compulsory approach to resettling refugees. But a call for the members to share the burden of absorbing the migrants according to the wealth and population of the member countries met with fierce resistance. The squabbling has highlighted the lack of a united European response to one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades. The crisis has tested the limits of Europe’s ability to forge consensus on one of the most divisive issues to confront the union since the fall of communism. It has set right-wing politicians, including those who govern Hungary, against pan-European humanitarians, who have portrayed the crisis in stark moral terms.
“We would have preferred to have adoption by consensus, but we did not manage to achieve that,” Jean Asselborn, the foreign minister of Luxembourg, said after the meeting. He urged the countries that had voted no to comply with the decision. “I have no doubt they will implement these decisions fully,” he said.
Mr. Asselborn generated some confusion on Tuesday when he said that the member states had agreed to take their allocations of migrants on a “voluntary” basis. Pressed on whether the countries that dissented would also have to accept the migrants, he responded, “Nobody has the right not to agree.”
Bernard Cazeneuve, the French interior minister, played down the lack of consensus. “It was very important for us that everyone would participate in this plan,” Mr. Cazeneuve said after the meeting at a news conference with his German counterpart, Thomas de Maizière. The decision was in the “European spirit,” Mr. Cazeneuve said, noting that an “overwhelming majority” of nations had supported it.
But there were early signs of resistance to the plan. “I’m very surprised by this unprecedented decision,” Slovakia’s interior minister, Robert Kalinak, said after the vote. The Czech prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, said his government would “reject any attempt to introduce some permanent mechanism of redistributing refugees.”
The idea behind the plan — backed by Germany and France, the dominant powers in Europe — is to relieve the pressure on front-line nations like Italy and Greece, which migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa have been flooding. Germany has estimated that it will give refuge to as many as one million people this year.
The dispute has highlighted a political divide between wealthier countries like Germany and Sweden, which have emphasized multiculturalism and humanitarian aid, and poorer countries from the former Communist bloc, like Hungary and Slovakia, that are alarmed at the economic and social challenges of absorbing so many migrants.
Another factor holding up a deal is the reluctance of a number of countries to hand over control of immigration to the European Commission, the Brussels-based executive agency for the European Union, which drew up the plans for the mandatory system.Another factor holding up a deal is the reluctance of a number of countries to hand over control of immigration to the European Commission, the Brussels-based executive agency for the European Union, which drew up the plans for the mandatory system.
Diplomats had failed to agree on a draft accord on Monday but met again on Tuesday, before the interior ministers’ meeting.Diplomats had failed to agree on a draft accord on Monday but met again on Tuesday, before the interior ministers’ meeting.
The ministers were given “a balanced, consensus text” to consider, said Jean Asselborn, the foreign affairs minister of Luxembourg, which holds the rotating presidency of European Union. That text, which was prepared by Luxembourg but based on opinions from the diplomats earlier in the day, “will be our working basis,” Mr. Asselborn told reporters as he arrived at the meeting. If the European Union’s leaders ratify the plan on Wednesday, despite a lack of broad agreement, it could exacerbate disharmony in Europe that has already led to the reintroduction of border controls by some countries.
Thomas de Maizière, the German interior minister, told reporters he expected “a hard meeting.” He also said there was no guarantee that ministers would emerge “with a result.” One surprise on Tuesday was Poland’s decision to vote yes. It had criticized the proposal, but its former prime minister, Donald Tusk, has been a strong advocate for the migrants.
Representatives from countries that favor the plan could decide to pass the measure by a majority vote later on Tuesday. But doing so would risk imposing an unworkable system on countries that have balked at accepting quotas of migrants. Putting in place the system without broad agreement would also exacerbate the disharmony in Europe that has already led to the reintroduction of border controls by some countries. Mr. Tusk, now the president of the European Council, which convened the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, said he wanted the leaders to discuss expanding cooperation with Turkey so that refugees there were given adequate care and shelter and were dissuaded from trying to enter the European Union.
If the ministers fail to strike a deal, the discussion about the relocation of migrants is expected to spill into Wednesday, when European Union leaders are to gather in Brussels to discuss a wider response to the crisis.
Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, which convened the meeting planned for Wednesday, said he wanted the leaders to discuss expanding cooperation with Turkey so that migrants in that country are given adequate care and shelter, and are dissuaded from trying to enter the European Union.
“We must help Syrian refugees to a better life closer to their homes,” Mr. Tusk wrote on Twitter on Sunday.“We must help Syrian refugees to a better life closer to their homes,” Mr. Tusk wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
Mr. Tusk also said he wanted the leaders to discuss expanding fingerprinting and creating more reception centers inside Greece and Italy. That could turn so-called hot spots where migrants would be gathered into fully fledged refugee camps. Mr. Tusk also said he wanted the leaders to discuss expanding fingerprinting and creating more reception centers in Greece and Italy. That could turn so-called hot spots where migrants gather into full-fledged refugee camps.
One of the most intransigent countries in the migration crisis has been Hungary, which has become a front line for migrants seeking asylum elsewhere, like Germany. The government in Budapest has already built a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia, is bolstering its border along Croatia and has granted its army extra powers to deal with migrants, including allowing the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other weapons, provided no lethal force is used. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, urged governments on Tuesday to substantially increase funding for Frontex, the European Union’s border control agency.
Hungary is also resisting the relocation plan — even though it would allow the country to move an estimated 54,000 migrants from its territory to other European Union members. Because Hungary has spurned that offer, that provision is likely to be shifted to Greece and Italy to help relieve the share of arrivals borne by those Mediterranean countries. “This is not the time for business as usual,” he said. “If you really want to help these people, you have to put your money where your mouth is.”
The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, would travel to Turkey on Tuesday to present a Hungarian proposal calling for the European Union to finance refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The hope is that if the bloc works to improve the conditions in those countries, the refugees would be less likely to undertake the difficult journey to Europe. But it remains to be seen how a proposal by Hungary, a country that has railed against a perceived threat of a Muslim invasion, will be received in Turkey, a majority-Muslim country, which has hosted millions of the refugees. One of the most intransigent countries in the migration crisis has been Hungary. It has built a razor-wire fence along its border with Serbia and is fortifying its border with Croatia. It has also granted its army extra powers to deal with migrants, including allowing the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and other weapons, provided no lethal force is used.
In a further sign of the acrimony that has characterized the European debate on immigration, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary warned on Monday that his country was being overrun. “The migrants are not just banging on our door; they are breaking it down,” he said. “Our borders are in danger, our way of life built on respect for the law, Hungary and the whole of Europe is in danger.” Hungary has resisted the relocation plan — even though it would allow the country to move an estimated 54,000 migrants from its territory to that of other European Union members.
The debate at the ministers’ meeting on Tuesday is over a program for relocation of a further 120,000 asylum seekers — still only a small part of the total — that would be compulsory for most member countries. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, would travel to Turkey on Tuesday to present a Hungarian proposal calling for the European Union to finance refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. The hope is that if the bloc works to improve the conditions in those countries, the refugees will be less likely to undertake the difficult journey to Europe. But it remains to be seen how a proposal by Hungary, a country that has railed against a perceived threat of a Muslim invasion, will be received in Turkey, a majority-Muslim country that has hosted millions of the refugees.
An idea being discussed by diplomats to break the deadlock is to include in the final agreement the number of migrants member states would take, but to leave out the method used by the commission to make the calculations. The new plan to distribute 120,000 migrants follows a similarly contentious debate in June over how to deal with 40,000 migrants, most of them from Syria or Eritrea. The European Union has missed several deadlines for settling those migrants.
Even so, a deal on Tuesday could prove elusive. One idea diplomats have discussed is to decide on the number of migrants each member state should take without specifying the method used to make those calculations.
“Some solutions are on the table, what is missing is the political will and leadership to see them through,” John Dalhuisen, the Europe director for Amnesty International, warned on Monday.