Outsourcing migration handling: Election fuss or a new EU paradigm?

EU member states should focus on the implementation of the recently agreed migration pact, which creates a “win-win” situation, an EU official told Euractiv, commenting on reports that some EU capitals are pushing to outsource migration procedures to third countries.

A group of EU member states, led by Czechia and Denmark, are preparing a letter to the European Commission calling for migrants trying to reach the EU to be transferred to selected third countries before reaching the bloc’s shores.

Following a meeting in Copenhagen on 6 May, Euractiv was informed that in their letter the ministers will ask for the continuation of the reform of the EU’s migration and asylum policy and for it to be part of the next EU executive agenda.

An EU official close to the matter told Euractiv that first, the current migration pact should be implemented.

“We stick to the implementation of what has been agreed […] this is our compass”, the EU official said, adding that the new migration pact was signed by all member states “precisely because it creates a win-win situation for all”.

Contacted by Euractiv, EU Commission Spokesperson for home affairs Anitta Hipper said it is possible for the EU and the member states to cooperate with countries outside the EU in managing migration.

“It is important that this is done in full respect of EU and international law”, she added.

Referring to recent EU initiatives with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt, Hipper said a “new paradigm based on comprehensive partnerships is being developed” with many of the countries of origin and transit to the EU.

However, outsourcing migration procedures to third countries is facing several challenges.

One of them is Frontex, which cannot operate outside the EU territory.

Referring to the Italy-Albania migration deal, which favours outsourcing asylum procedures, Frontex executive director Hans Leijtens noted, “We are not allowed to help Albania repatriate migrants […] If Italy needs help, we can do it on Italian soil with Italian jurisdiction”.

Some also question whether EU funding can be used in an outsourcing scenario. The European Commission has not provided an answer by the time of this publication.

Far right driving the EPP agenda

Spanish socialist MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D) told Euractiv that outsourcing migration procedures to third countries is not part of the current migration pact.

“The migration asylum pact is meant precisely to put an end to this sequence of action-reaction with no strategy”, he said, adding that such a proposal does not lead to a European response to the problem.

Aguilar explained that it’s been years that the EU centre-right has been tempted to follow the lead of far-right and extremism, allegedly to compete electorally.

“It’s a major mistake, and it has never worked […] Voters can tell the difference between the original and the copycat, and who took the lead […] in that kind of dilemma, voters would go for the original thing, which is far right”, he said.

Critics in Prague suggest that the Czech government is opening again the migration debate with this proposal just before the elections as it has been facing increasing criticism over its greenlight for the recent EU migration pact.

For his part, leftist MEP Kostas Arvanitis said history and reality have proven that such proposals do not work as a deterrent but lead “to more extreme human rights violations and the strengthening of traffickers”.

“If the EU policy does not embrace our position for mandatory and proportionate relocation of asylum seekers in all member states, with meaningful integration policies, the road seems to be a dead end”, he added.

Germany’s CDU likes the idea

The discussion about a UK-Rwanda model has also taken centre stage in Germany, where Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said she would evaluate whether asylum procedures could also be handled in third countries outside the EU.

However, the current government is torn on the issue, with the Greens in particular opposing such a move, which is likely to affect its support for an equivalent European solution.

When asked about German support for EU-directed outsourcing of asylum procedures to foreign countries, an interior ministry spokesperson merely referred to Germany’s ongoing review of a national solution.

“This examination has begun, but requires answers to complex legal, factual and conceptual questions that should be considered from different perspectives,” the spokesperson told Euractiv.

“Against this background, a series of expert hearings is being organised. So far, three expert hearings have taken place. Further follow-up events are planned. The results of the expert hearings to date are still being analysed […] the Federal Government will report to the MPK on 20 June 2024 on the results available by then.”

The conservative CDU, on the other hand, is currently leading the polls with over 15% ahead of the governing Social Democrats and is a strong advocate for the Rwanda model.

On Tuesday, the party enshrined the model in their new Grundsatzprogramm – a core party programme that outlines their key policy priorities for the next decades to come. The last one dates back to 2007, when then-chancellor Angela Merkel was still heading the CDU.

“Anyone who applies for asylum in Europe should be transferred to a safe third country and undergo a procedure there,” the programme that will guide the CDU in the next decade outlines, arguing that a “comprehensive contractual agreement” should be concluded with these third countries.

Friedrich Merz, who was re-elected as party leader on Monday and will likely lead the CDU into the race for the chancellery in 2025, also praised the UK’s plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, arguing that Germany “could emulate” them.

“It is clearly going to deter people, especially young men making their way to Europe who have no real prospect of being granted asylum,” he told the Financial Times on Tuesday.

(Sarantis Michalopoulos, Oliver Noyan, Nick Alipour, Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.com)

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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