Under the new rules, individuals arriving from so-called “safe” countries will be held in a kind of prison and subjected to pre-screening upon crossing the EU border. Within a span of 12 weeks, their eligibility for asylum will be assessed, and if deemed ineligible, they will be promptly returned to their country of origin.
This demand was primarily advocated by nations greatly affected by illegal immigration, including Greece, Italy, and Bulgaria, but Poland, Hungary, and Austria had also spoken out in favour. However, the majority of refugees, e.g., from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan, will retain the right to undergo a regular asylum procedure.
Notably, no special provisions have been implemented for families with children, despite requests from Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and also Luxembourg. Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean Asselborn expressed his difficulty in accepting this omission in a Thursday evening press release.
In addition, the agreement aims to foster increased solidarity among EU countries. If a nation does not want to accommodate refugees, it will have the option to “buy itself out” by contributing €20,000 per asylum seeker.
“If things go on like this in regard to asylum policy, we will destroy Schengen,” Jean Asselborn said in an interview with our colleagues from RTL.lu on Friday morning.
Asselborn expressed disappointment, remarking that the majority of countries seemed more inclined to fortify their borders with barbed wire. While acknowledging the challenging nature of reaching a compromise, Asselborn stressed that Luxembourg reluctantly agreed to the consensus to avoid blocking the entire process.
Asselborn contended that without a resolution, countries like Hungary and Poland would have emerged as winners, pointing out that some member states consistently reject any proposals. Rejecting the agreement would have resulted in a protracted deadlock, impeding progress for years to come, Asselborn warned.
Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs hopes that a better solution is still possible in cooperation with the European Parliament.
The comprehensive package will now proceed to the European Parliament for negotiations, which are expected to conclude by the end of 2023. Failure to reach an agreement would delay its implementation until the next European elections in June 2024, potentially necessitating new negotiations under different political coalitions.
