European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas stated on Sunday (August 15) that the crisis in Afghanistan and Belarus’ actions showed the need for rapid reform of EU immigration and asylum rules.
“If the situation in Afghanistan and the actions in Belarus show one thing, it is that time is running out and how long can we wait to pass the comprehensive reform of the European immigration and asylum rules we need,” Shinas said. In a tweet, he quoted his comments in the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
If the situation in Afghanistan and the actions of Belarus show one thing, it is how long we can wait to pass the comprehensive reform of European immigration and asylum rules we need.
today@printed matter https://t.co/1U3WV9jD7i
-Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) August 15, 2021
Many EU member states worry that developments in Afghanistan may trigger a recurrence of the 2015/16 immigration crisis in Europe, when the chaotic arrival of more than 1 million people from the Middle East led to strained security and welfare systems and fueled support for far-right groups.
Hard wire
At the same time, even if the progress of the Taliban insurgents prompts other EU countries to reconsider similar positions, Austria on Saturday still insisted on its hardline stance of repatriating Afghans whose asylum applications failed.
“It’s easy to call for a total ban on deportation to Afghanistan, and on the other hand it negates the expected flying activities. Those in need of protection must be as close as possible to their country of origin,” Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told APA news agency.
Austria is one of six EU countries that insisted on the right to force the deportation of rejected Afghan asylum seekers last week. Three of these countries—Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands—have changed course.
The Oesterreich newspaper published a poll that showed that up to 90% of respondents supported the Austrian government’s route.
It linked its support to a high-profile criminal case in June in which four Afghans in Vienna were suspected of taking drugs and raping a 13-year-old girl who was unconscious and died.
Citing government officials on Sunday, Austria plans to hold an aid conference at the end of this month or early September to support Afghanistan’s Central Asian neighbors.
The APA news agency quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that the Austrian online conference will also include other unspecified EU member states.
“On-site assistance can only work with partners on the ground,” APA quoted Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as saying. “Clashes and instability in the region will sooner or later spread to Europe, and then to Austria.”
To quote Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (Karl Nehammer), a holistic approach is needed to prevent illegal immigrants from flowing into Europe. He said that the goal of this meeting is to support Afghanistan’s neighbors while preventing human traffickers from benefiting from the suffering of the people.
