The EU countries voted earlier this week for stricter rules on asylum. Apparently, however, some people feel that these plans do not go far enough and are calling for stricter rules.
19 interior ministers from the individual EU states wrote a letter to Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson, demanding that illegal immigration into the EU be stopped. However, the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is not said to be involved in this. “Bild” reports on this.
In the letter, each interior minister put forward the idea that the EU should “shift its focus from managing irregular migration to supporting refugees and host communities in regions of origin.” This means that the migrants should not even make their way to Europe, but should instead remain in a partner country that is considered safe.
Federal Interior Minister Faeser, on the other hand, rejects such plans. “We have succeeded in creating the new common European asylum system. This has been decided and will be binding law – for all EU states,” Faeser told Bild. “And that is the opposite of what populists do, who only have cheap propaganda and no solutions to offer.”
In addition, the EPP, which represents the conservative parties in the EU, has written a position paper that focuses on a “consistent return policy” of people who are not in need of protection.
For example, the border protection agency “Frontex” should be given more “authorities” and increased staffing to 30,000 (previously 10,000). It should also be allowed to operate “in third countries”.