Brussels hopes to achieve "
important results
" in 2021 on the asylum reform presented in September but without breakthrough so far, the 27 remaining very divided on this highly sensitive issue, five years after the 2015 migration crisis.
Read also: Brussels unveils its new migration pact
Countries continue to oppose, in particular on the distribution of asylum seekers, the countries on the front line for the arrival of migrants (Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta) demanding more solidarity from their partners, while Eastern countries like Hungary and Poland refuse to be forced to welcome refugees.
"
I hope that we will achieve important results during the Portuguese presidency
" of the European Union, which begins on January 1 for six months, declared Monday, December 14 the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, during a meeting. press conference after a meeting of European ministers.
Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency until the end of the year, initially hoped to reach agreement in principle on key points of the new "
Pact on Migration and Asylum
", unveiled on September 23 by the Commission.
But German Home Secretary Stephan Mayer admitted that the Gordian knot "
has not yet been cut
".
He welcomed, however, that "
all Member States consider the Commission proposal to be a good basis
" for discussions.
The Swedish commissioner, who did not want to comment on a date for a possible adoption of the Pact, stressed that the pandemic had complicated the talks by preventing physical meetings which are more conducive to compromises than video conferences.
The
German EU Presidency's “
progress report
” acknowledges “
that the debate on the New Deal is still in its infancy
”.
If the Member States agree to strengthen partnerships with the countries of origin and transit of migrants, "
still a lot of dialogue
" is needed on the issue of solidarity between EU countries and on border procedures , according to Ylva Johansson.
The proposal on the table provides for accelerated asylum procedures at the external borders and faster deportations of failed asylum seekers.
The Pact also proposes that in the event of a migratory influx, EU countries that do not want to welcome refugees will have to participate in the deportation of rejected asylum seekers from the European country where they arrived to their State of origin.
If this fails, they should accept them at home.
