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Faeser's asylum plan: not a "coalition of the willing" after all? - Not a priority for Macron

2022-01-20T12:44:15.551Z


Faeser's asylum plan: not a "coalition of the willing" after all? - Not a priority for Macron Created: 2022-01-20 13:29 By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi French President Macron is apparently not enthusiastic about Federal Interior Minister Faeser's proposals for EU migration policy. © Ludovic Marin/AFP According to Interior Minister Faeser, EU asylum policy should be shaped by a “coalition of the willi


Faeser's asylum plan: not a "coalition of the willing" after all?

- Not a priority for Macron

Created: 2022-01-20 13:29

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

French President Macron is apparently not enthusiastic about Federal Interior Minister Faeser's proposals for EU migration policy.

© Ludovic Marin/AFP

According to Interior Minister Faeser, EU asylum policy should be shaped by a “coalition of the willing”.

Macron probably does not share this opinion.

Munich - Especially after the refugee crisis in 2015, the debate about asylum policy in Europe intensified.

The increasingly escalating civil war in Syria played a key role in increasing the flow of refugees towards Europe.

While some countries like Germany took a softer position, other countries like Hungary advocated strict rejection of the refugees and even built fences.

The new German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), apparently wants to ensure a clear and uniform asylum policy at European level, which should be acceptable to everyone, just a few weeks after the new flood over Belarus.

To this end, she proposed the so-called “coalition of the willing”.

The EU member state France, however, does not think much of it.

EU asylum policy: Faeser proposes "coalition of the willing" - France has no interest in admission

Basically, Faeser's proposal for a “coalition of the willing” follows a very simple line.

If you don't want to take in refugees, you have to support the "willing" countries that are willing to do so with other forms of solidarity, such as payments.

The specific goal: Relief for states on the EU's external borders, where most migrants appear.

The basis for this is a package from the EU Commission that has been available since September 2020 for a "new start in European migration policy".

This is intended to create “a new balance between responsibility and solidarity”.

However, the proposal faces a crucial hurdle, because a coalition needs partners.

But there is hardly a country in Europe ready for the “coalition of the willing”.

The SPD politician Faeser does get support from the European Commission, but of course the committee cannot take in refugees itself.

The states would have to agree to this.

Ironically, France, which together with Germany is supposed to take on a central task among the willing states, shows no interest in the project.

EU asylum policy: France positions itself very clearly - Macron rather for border protection and restrictions

According to

Focus

information, the French government, whose EU Council Presidency has just begun, has already positioned itself internally. Accordingly, receiving asylum seekers in countries of a “coalition of the willing” is not a priority for them. The French would rather take a different path and advocate more effective protection of the EU's external borders, better functioning returns for unsuccessful applicants to their countries of origin and stricter restrictions on the freedom of movement of migrants. According to the Parisian opinion, a “sufficient” number of countries must participate in a newly balanced distribution mechanism within the EU, but this number is not specified.

In the case of France, there is another decisive factor: the election campaign for the presidency.

Here President Emmanuel Macron could be targeted by his political opponents with a greater willingness to accept migrants and provide them with a stronger basis for arguments.

He should definitely want to prevent this.

In his presentation of the fundamentals of the French Council Presidency, he concentrated on protecting the EU's external borders, combating people smugglers and an effective return policy.

He only mentioned a solidarity recording in passing.

EU asylum policy: Harsh criticism of Faeser's proposal from Austria - "completely wrong signals"

Sharp criticism of Faeser's plans also followed from Austria. Anyone who, like Faeser, wants to forge a "coalition of member states willing to accept them" for asylum seekers is sending out the completely wrong signals, said Austria's Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) of the

picture

. "I speak out clearly against such efforts," emphasized the minister. Such an alliance awakens false expectations in the countries of origin. Instead, Karner pleaded with the newspaper to form “alliances of reason”. When it comes to migration, the EU should concentrate on those issues on which there is consensus. These are robust external border protection, fast procedures and consistent returns. Austria has been pursuing a restrictive migration policy for many years.

The traffic light coalition in Brussels is also not optimistic about major developments in EU asylum policy. Rasmus Andresen, spokesman for the German Greens in the European Parliament, does not expect "great support for bold proposals in asylum policy," as

Focus

reported. Erik Marquardt, migration expert for the Greens in the EU Parliament, expressed himself in a similar way to Andresen: “I don’t think anyone in Brussels and Strasbourg is hoping that much will happen in asylum and migration policy during France’s Council Presidency.”

According to the FDP MEP Jan-Christoph Oetjen, other countries could back a "coalition of the willing".

After all, France also wants as many countries as possible to take part.

Possible candidates for the FDP politician here are Italy, Spain, the Benelux countries, Sweden, Finland and possibly also the Czech Republic.

(bb)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-01-20

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