This new approach, they say, should entail “consequences” for those who are handed a return order but never leave the continent…reports Asian Lite News
The European Union has struggled to improve the deportation rate of asylum seekers whose applications have been turned down.
A group of 17 European countries has called for a “paradigm shift” in migration policy to ensure asylum seekers whose applications have been declined are effectively and speedily sent back to their home countries.
This new approach, they say, should entail “consequences” for those who are handed a return order but never leave the continent.
“People without the right to stay must be held accountable. A new legal basis must clearly define their obligations and duties,” the countries have written in a non-paper. “Non-cooperation must have consequences and be sanctioned.”
The document was led by Austria and the Netherlands and endorsed by Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia and Sweden. Norway and Switzerland, two non-EU member states part of the Schengen Area, also lent their signatures.
The group asks the European Commission to treat the matter “expeditiously” and put forward a “state-of-the-art framework that responds to real challenges and developments,” building upon the discussions of a working party meeting in June.
The conclusions of that meeting floated several ideas to address the bloc’s low rate of effective deportations, which stubbornly hovers around 30% with no significant change. The ideas included using trade and visa policies as “leverage” to compel countries of origin to take back their nationals after their asylum applications are rejected. (This lack of cooperation has been cited as a major reason for the low return rate.)
The June meeting also proposed the establishment of a “common European return decision” to address another recurring problem: member states sometimes do not recognise the return orders issued by another member state.
These specific proposals, however, are not mentioned in the new non-paper, which mostly serves as a call-for-action on the Commission and a display of strong political support: the 17-strong group encompasses all regions of Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, and governments from the hard right to the centre left.
The joint call comes as interior ministers are set to gather in Luxembourg on Thursday, the first meeting of its kind since Germany re-introduced controls in all its land borders, Hungary threatened to instrumentalise irregular migrants against Belgium, and the Netherlands asked for an opt-out clause of the EU asylum rules.
Migration should also feature on the agenda of a two-day summit of EU leaders next week.
The rapid succession of events has raised serious concerns about the viability of the Schengen Area and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the legislative overhaul the bloc completed in May.
The New Pact foresees provisions to close the gap between the asylum and the return procedures, but, as the non-paper reflects, member states want a separate piece of legislation to deal with the issue of deportations.
A proposal to reform the 2008 Return Directive has been stuck in the European Parliament since 2019. For the 17-country group, a brand-new text is now needed.
In the guidelines for her second term, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised a “new common approach on returns, with a new legislative framework to speed up and simplify the process, ensure that returns take place in a dignified manner, digitalise case management and ensure that return decisions are mutually recognised across Europe.”
U-turn call on free bus travel for asylum seekers
The Scottish Greens will use a vote at Holyrood this week to try to persuade ministers to u-turn on free bus travel for asylum seekers. The Scottish government axed the policy in August as part of a series of cuts to public spending.
The Greens will use their debating time on Wednesday to argue the commitment should be restored. They believe opposition parties could unite to defeat the minority SNP administration.
The government said it is committed to supporting refugees and people seeking asylum. Ministers suffered a double defeat last month when MSPs voted for plans to extend free school meals and continue off-peak rail travel to be reinstated.
The votes are non-binding, meaning ministers do not need to act on them. Speaking ahead of the debate, Scottish Greens’ transport spokesman Mark Russell described the decision to drop the pledge on free bus travel as “shameful and deeply disappointing”.
He said: “The Scottish government has chosen to break a promise to some of the most marginalised people in our society. “The UK’s asylum system leaves people seeking asylum in state-sanctioned poverty – forced to survive on barely £50 a week and banned from working whilst waiting for a decision on their application for protection.
“Free bus travel would be a small and compassionate change that would make a big difference to the lives of people seeking sanctuary in Scotland. “There has been a long standing cross party support for this change, and I hope that MSPs from all parties will stand together this week in calling for it to be restored.”
The former First Minister Humza Yousaf confirmed the scheme last November and said £2m had been set aside to pay for it. The commitment followed a long campaign by refugee-rights organisations and a pilot programme in Glasgow in 2023.
However, during the summer, Finance Secretary Shona Robison said spending cuts were unavoidable and ministers were ordered to “constrain all but essential” spending to help pay for public sector pay deals. A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We are having to make very difficult decisions to deliver balanced and sustainable spending plans for the 2024-25 financial year.”
They highlighted that some people seeking asylum in Scotland are still be eligible for concessionary travel schemes, including those under 22 and over 60 years old, as well as those with disabilities. The spokesperson said: “We remain committed to supporting people seeking asylum, refugees and communities through the New Scots refugee integration strategy approach.”
They added that SNP minsters wanted to work with the UK government on making “tangible improvements” for refugees and people seeking asylum. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are fully compliant in meeting our legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.”