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Big decisions unlikely at migration summit as EU leaders aim to avoid rows EU looks to gain Turkish cooperation over migrant crisis
(about 2 hours later)
EU leaders have gathered in Brussels for a tense and gloomy summit aimed at conveying the impression they know what they are doing about the refugee and migration crisis. EU leaders have launched a push to obtain Turkish cooperation in stemming the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants to Europe, while also agreeing a package of repressive measures aimed at securing the union’s porous external border.
The main objective, according to senior officials and diplomats in Brussels involved in preparing the summit – the fourth on the crisis this year – is to avoid a major row and the kind of recrimination between leaders that characterised previous meetings. The fourth EU summit this year on the refugee crisis was said to be considering offering Ankara up to €3bn (£2.2bn), visa-free travel to Europe for 75 million Turks, the resumption of frozen negotiations on Turkey’s EU membership bid, and other sweeteners in what appeared to be a desperate attempt to gain Turkish support.
The summit will launch a big push for a deal with Turkey, the main source of the 700,000 people who have entered the EU this year. Germany’s Angela Merkel will travel to Istanbul on Sunday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan two weeks before a Turkish general election. But senior officials and diplomats said the main aim of the summit was to try to avoid a major row and the kind of recrimination between leaders that characterised previous meetings. The summit took place in an atmosphere of gloom and tension.
Related: Syria crisis pushes EU asylum claims past 1992 recordRelated: Syria crisis pushes EU asylum claims past 1992 record
The chances of a meaningful pact with Ankara are slim in the short-term and would almost certainly entail Europe agreeing to take hundreds of thousands of Syrians from among more than two million hosted by Turkey. But unless Merkel insists on highlighting this issue, the summit will avoid it because it would provoke conflict between EU governments. Turkey is currently the main transit country for the 700,000 people who have entered the EU this year. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, is to travel to Istanbul on Sunday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan two weeks before a Turkish general election, leaving her open to charges that she is aiding the victory chances of his governing Justice and Development party.
The possibility of a meaningful pact with Ankara is slim in the short-term, however, and would almost certainly entail Europe agreeing to take hundreds of thousands of Syrians from among more than two million hosted by Turkey.
“We won’t be making any major decisions here,” predicted a senior diplomat in Brussels.“We won’t be making any major decisions here,” predicted a senior diplomat in Brussels.
A second senior diplomat said: “The purpose is to improve the mood on this very toxic issue. I’m not sure we’ll be able to give a positive answer, but we can’t afford a clear message of failure.”A second senior diplomat said: “The purpose is to improve the mood on this very toxic issue. I’m not sure we’ll be able to give a positive answer, but we can’t afford a clear message of failure.”
A senior official taking part in the summit admitted that the leaders do not have answers to the crisis, “only questions”. A senior official taking part in the summit admitted that the leaders do not have answers to the refugee crisis, “only questions”.
The summit will deliver robust language on: Donald Tusk, the EU council president chairing the summit, sounded pessimistic about the chances of any real breakthroughs. He said the situation in Syria was getting worse and things remained volatile in Libya.
Merkel told the Bundestag in Berlin on Thursday that she would use the summit to fight “decisively” for “pan-European processes” on immigration. “All this may lead to a new massive wave of refugees,” he said. “We must ask ourselves if the decisions we are going to take are sufficient to contain a new migratory wave.”
But every area of policy being discussed is hotly contested. The likelihood is high that the actions following the summit will fail to match the rhetoric. The summit will deliver robust language on repressive measures aimed at shoring up the EU’s external borders, detention of refugees and migrants while their asylum claims are being processed, attempts to replace national powers over frontiers by new European agencies, and a drive to cajole and coerce third countries into keeping migrants at home and hosting those from elsewhere in transit to Europe.
The European commission and Germany are pushing for a new asylum and immigration regime under which successful asylum claimants would be shared across the union on a binding and permanent basis. Merkel told the Bundestag in Berlin that she would use the summit to fight decisively for “pan-European processes” on immigration.
The issue is so divisive, especially in eastern Europe, that the topic will probably be avoided. The commission will also propose a new system of European borders and coastguards, beefing up the Warsaw-based Frontex agency to police the external frontiers. But every area of policy being discussed is hotly contested. It is unlikely that actions following the summit will match the rhetoric.
The European commission and Germany are pushing for a new asylum and immigration regime that would share out successful asylum claimants across the union on a binding and permanent basis.
Merkel said there was no fair sharing of refugees in Europe currently, while her ally Werner Faymann, the Austrian chancellor, said there would need to be a new binding agreement to share more than the 160,000 refugees already agreed upon.
The issue is very divisive, especially in eastern Europe. The commission will also propose a new system of European borders and coastguards, beefing up the Warsaw-based Frontex agency to police the external frontiers.
“I can’t say there is big optimism,” said one of the diplomats. “There is a strong feeling that protection of external borders is the competence of the countries. Very many want to state their reservations.”“I can’t say there is big optimism,” said one of the diplomats. “There is a strong feeling that protection of external borders is the competence of the countries. Very many want to state their reservations.”
Many governments are keen to see European deployments at the main refugee entry points on the Greek islands and in southern Italy, but do not want them on their own borders. Many governments are keen to see European deployments at the main refugee entry points on the Greek islands and in southern Italy, but they do not want them on their own borders.
“It’s a constitutional question in all member states,” said the second diplomat. “This is an issue of primary national sovereignty.”“It’s a constitutional question in all member states,” said the second diplomat. “This is an issue of primary national sovereignty.”
Donald Tusk, chairing the summit, said Frontex should be given powers to initiate and carry out deportations. He said the situation in Syria was getting worse and remained unstable in Libya. A senior German official said Berlin wanted the proposed permanent mechanism for sharing refugees on the summit agenda, but also appeared to concede that the resistance meant this would not happen.
“All this may lead to a new massive wave of refugees,” he warned. “We must ask ourselves if the decisions we are going to take are sufficient to contain a new migratory wave.” He added that Frontex needed around 1,000 new staff seconded from national governments. Last week the agency asked for 775. So far, 48 have been pledged from six countries.
A senior German official said Berlin wanted the proposed “permanent mechanism” for sharing refugees on the summit agenda, but also appeared to concede that the resistance meant this would not happen.
He said Frontex needed around 1,000 new staff seconded from national governments. Last week the agency asked for 775. So far, 48 have been pledged from six countries.
“There’s no majority for replacing national border guards with European ones,” said the senior official.“There’s no majority for replacing national border guards with European ones,” said the senior official.
There is also confusion and dispute over new methods of dealing with the influx, focused on the idea of “hotspots” where new arrivals in Greece and Italy are to be registered and fingerprinted. There is confusion and dispute over new methods of dealing with the influx, focused on the idea of “hotspots” where new arrivals in Greece and Italy can be registered and fingerprinted.
The Germans and others want these facilities – the first one is operating on the Italian island of Lampedusa; another is to open next week on the Greek island of Lesbos – to be camps where people are detained while being screened and their claims vetted. The Italians say they don’t want to host “concentration camps”. The Greeks, too, are unsure, and are also resisting EU proposals for joint sea patrols with the Turks in the Aegean. The Germans and others want these new facilities – the first one is operating on the Italian island of Lampedusa; another is to open next week on the Greek island of Lesbos – to be camps where people are detained while being screened and their claims vetted. The Italians say they don’t want to host “concentration camps”. The Greeks are also reluctant and are resisting EU proposals for mounting joint sea patrols with the Turks in the Aegean.
Merkel said the narrow sea channel separating Greece and Turkey was in the hands of the smuggling rackets. “We need a big capacity for first reception [of migrants],” said the German government source. “We need first reception capacities where people can stay. Registration alone doesn’t work.” Merkel said the narrow sea channel separating Greece and Turkey was in the hands of smuggling rackets. The German government source said: “We need a big capacity for first reception [of migrants]. We need first reception capacities where people can stay. Registration alone doesn’t work.”
Amid the frictions in almost all areas of immigration policy, there are high-level fears that mainstream leaders are losing the plot and making things easier for the far right and the hard left to set the agenda.Amid the frictions in almost all areas of immigration policy, there are high-level fears that mainstream leaders are losing the plot and making things easier for the far right and the hard left to set the agenda.
“You have a lot of political machos in the member states waiting to get into power to implement their ideas,” said a senior EU source.“You have a lot of political machos in the member states waiting to get into power to implement their ideas,” said a senior EU source.
The Eurasia Group risk consultancy said: “The migrant crisis will continue to dominate the EU’s political agenda. This will exacerbate all of the EU’s existing challenges, as nationalism surges and the space for political and policy action by mainstream governments becomes further constrained. Politics in Europe become more toxic and divisive.”The Eurasia Group risk consultancy said: “The migrant crisis will continue to dominate the EU’s political agenda. This will exacerbate all of the EU’s existing challenges, as nationalism surges and the space for political and policy action by mainstream governments becomes further constrained. Politics in Europe become more toxic and divisive.”
A national ambassador to the EU said: “We’re running the risk of losing our populations in Europe. In many cases we’re running against majority [public opinion].” A national ambassador to the EU said: “We’re running the risk of losing our populations in Europe. In many cases, we’re running against majority [public opinion].”