Ursula von der Leyen is advocating for enhanced deportation protocols amid rising pressures within Europe over migrant policies, drawing from Italy's controversial offshore processing initiative in Albania.
Increased Migrant Deportations Loom as EU Proposes Tougher Policies
Increased Migrant Deportations Loom as EU Proposes Tougher Policies
EU Commission President Warns Member States of Immigration Crackdowns
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signaled an impending shift in the EU's approach to handling migration, indicating that the bloc will consider Italy's contentious offshore migrant processing policy as a model. In a pre-summit letter to EU member states, von der Leyen revealed plans for new legislation aimed at bolstering deportations of irregular migrants.
Currently, the return rate for migrants ordered to leave EU countries stands at a mere 20%, leading to concerns over “cracks in the system” that allow migrants to evade deportation by moving between member states. To address this issue, von der Leyen has urged countries to recognize deportation decisions made in other states, fostering a unified response to migration.
Italy has initiated its own ambitious scheme by relocating certain Mediterranean migrants to Albania for processing. This week, the first group of 16 men from Bangladesh and Egypt was transferred to specially designed centers in Albania. Despite the €650 million operation being funded and legally governed by Italy, it has drawn criticism from various political factions and humanitarian organizations. Critics have labeled the program as inhumane, emphasizing the potential human rights violations it may engender.
Amidst pressures from anti-immigrant sentiments across Europe, Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has dubbed the Albania initiative as a progressive strategy reflecting a collective European ethos. The current climate has prompted several member states to revisit their own immigration policies, with Germany reinstating land border checks, France planning legislative reforms on immigration, and Poland contemplating a temporary suspension of asylum rights to curb influxes allegedly orchestrated by Belarus.
Recent incidents of violence allegedly linked to asylum seekers in Germany and France have further fueled calls for stricter immigration regulations. In response, 15 EU member states have backed a proposal led by Austria and the Netherlands to enhance deportation processes, signaling a potential shift towards more stringent immigration practices as the continent wrestles with complex humanitarian obligations amidst burgeoning political challenges.
