Icon: enlarge
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Photo: Stephanie Lecocq / AP
It is still unclear whether the plans have any chance of being implemented.
With new proposals for an efficient deportation of rejected asylum seekers, the EU Commission wants to get things moving in the asylum reform negotiations that have been blocked for years.
A proposal that has now been presented in Brussels provides for Member States such as Greece and Italy to be relieved, above all by providing strong support for the repatriation of people without the right to stay. Countries such as Hungary and Poland should therefore only be obliged to accept migrants in absolutely exceptional cases.
In addition, the EU Commission demands that all EU states make their contribution to the common migration policy in times of crisis.
The EU Commission's concept provides three scenarios, among others:
In normal times, the EU states can help each other voluntarily.
If a country is under pressure, however, it can trigger a so-called mechanism for mandatory solidarity.
The EU countries would then either have to take in migrants or help in some other way, for example by deporting them.
If a crisis like 2015 occurs, a crisis mechanism comes into play.
Then the choice of options for assistance becomes smaller: Either migrants are accepted or the deportation of a certain number of rejected asylum seekers is taken over.
This deportation must take place within eight months.
If that doesn't succeed, the country has to take them in itself.
The EU states have been arguing about a common asylum and migration policy for years.
The sticking point was always the mandatory distribution of asylum seekers to all EU countries.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appealed to the EU states to use the concept as a basis for a new attempt at an agreement.
"It is time to face the challenge of shaping migration together - with the right balance of solidarity and responsibility," she said.
After the fire in the Greek refugee camp Moria on the island of Lesbos, the EU will participate in the management of a new camp.
The EU Commission will start "a joint pilot project with the Greek government on Lesbos," said von der Leyen.
Moria is a "strong reminder" that everyone in the EU should do more in the area of migration.
The aim is to improve people's living conditions.
Greece's largest refugee camp on the island of Lesbos was completely destroyed by several fires two weeks ago.
Thousands of people lost their homes.
Icon: The mirror
