The EU member states are nervous about the recurrence of the 2015-16 immigration crisis in Europe and the surge in immigration from Afghanistan, and agreed on Wednesday (August 18) that they need to strengthen their external borders.
After a special meeting of EU Ministers of the Interior on Wednesday aimed at condemning Belarus for pushing asylum seekers towards the EU border with “direct attacks”, the ministers stated in a joint statement that Belarus has been seeking to “save humanity for political purposes. Instrumentalization”.
They said in their statement: “This aggressive behavior…is unacceptable and amounts to a direct attack aimed at destabilizing the EU and putting pressure on the EU.” Conveyed.
The ministers’ statement stated that countries bordering Belarus and other EU institutions have received financial and technical assistance to deal with the immigration crisis and can provide more assistance as needed.
The ministers did not directly mention Afghanistan, but were disturbed by the prospect of a surge in immigration from Afghanistan. They also stated that they agreed that “it is necessary to strengthen the EU’s entire external border” to prevent illegal border crossings in the future.
The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell briefed the ministers on the conclusions of Tuesday’s meeting of foreign ministers on Afghanistan.
Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told reporters that the rotating EU presidency of Slovenia hopes to convene a crisis meeting similar to the immigration crisis promoted by Belarus at the Lithuanian border to discuss the situation after the Taliban took over the Afghan capital Kabul.
Hawes said that such a meeting may be held within a few days, but it is not clear whether the Minister of the Interior or the Minister of Foreign Affairs will meet again.
A dispute is imminent (again)
Many EU member states worry that developments in Afghanistan may trigger a recurrence of the 2015-16 immigration crisis in Europe.
The dispute over dealing with Afghan refugees is imminent because Austria has already spoken Opposed to accepting more refugees, Greece’s positioning is similar to this. These two countries are likely to join the ranks of Eastern European immigration skeptics, especially Hungary and Poland.
At the same time, senior EU officials said on Wednesday (August 19) that under the Taliban, immigration from Afghanistan may increase, calling on member states to increase the entry quota for Afghans in need of protection.
Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Immigration and Asylum Affairs, said in a statement: “The instability in Afghanistan may lead to increased immigration pressure.”
“I have called on member states to increase their participation in resettlement and increase resettlement quotas to help those in need of international protection,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that discussions among EU countries about possible developments and EU preparations have begun, adding that the EU should support countries bordering Afghanistan, which have already had a large number of Afghans fleeing there.
She added that if necessary, it should also increase this kind of assistance as the situation develops, while allowing more people in need to enter, but the possibility of deportation to Afghanistan is ruled out. Several EU countries are still there two weeks ago. Fight for this ban.
Especially Austria Rejected before Accept more refugees Afghanistan, insisted on rejecting Afghan asylum seekers continue to be deported, and earlier this week it was proposed to set up “deportation centers” in nearby countries as an alternative.
“As far as the current situation is concerned, the situation in Afghanistan is clearly insecure, and it will not be safe for a while,” Johnson said. “Therefore, we cannot force people to return to Afghanistan.”
Sassori: “Equal” Sharing
At the same time, the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli adopted a more welcoming tone for arrivals from Afghanistan than other EU leaders.
During his visit to Lithuania, Sassori told reporters that the EU has a responsibility to accept Afghan refugees and that those who work for the EU in Afghanistan should not “face retaliation.”
He said that refugees arriving from Afghanistan are now in the hands of the Taliban and should be distributed “equally” among EU member states.
“I believe that the mission of the European Commission is to redistribute equally among all European countries,” he said.
“We must protect those who work and cooperate with us, and we must not expose them to retaliation,” Sassoli told reporters in Vilnius.
“We have a responsibility. I think the European Commission can authorize an even distribution of them among member states to maintain equality, and this can be done very quickly.”
