European plan to manage illegal migration

Managing illegal migration is a concern for the European Commission

Ştefan Stoica, 06.12.2022, 13:50

The European Commission made public an action plan for
the management of the illegal migrants arriving via the Western Balkans, whose
numbers have reached record-high levels this year. The Commission is thus
trying to alleviate the fears of some EU member countries and to step up
negotiations on the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The Western Balkans route has become a major point of
migratory pressure, with the number of irregular migrants on this route up 168%,
according to Frontex data. The situation raises particular concerns in Central
European countries like Austria and the Czech Republic, which have strengthened
border controls.

In the first 10 months of this year a total of over 280,000
illegal EU arrivals have been detected, more than 120,000 of which were on the
Western Balks route. The EC plan comprises operational measures structured into
5 pillars: strengthening border management, swift asylum procedures and support
reception capacity, fighting migrant smuggling, enhancing readmission
cooperation and returns as well as achieving visa policy alignment.

Western Balkans countries are urged to align their
visa regimes to the EU visa policy, because there are many cases of migrants
arriving in Balkan countries that do not require visas, and from there they
move illegally into Western Europe.

On the other hand, EU policymakers are confident that
only an agreement like the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, first
presented in September 2020, is able to meet the challenges created by the
migration wave. However, member states have reserves concerning the refugee
distribution mechanisms, which is why the initiative has not been adopted to
date.

Unlike in 2016, the current plan does not explicitly
stipulate refugee quotas, but it introduces a mandatory solidarity mechanism
under which the Commission would still be able to set quotas for EU member
states, depending on their population and economic development. The alternative
for these countries would be other types of contributions, such as financing
and repatriation of rejected asylum seekers, or the construction of refugee
camps.

Romania welcomed the European Commission’s Action Plan
on the Western Balkans, and voiced confidence that the proposed measures and
instruments are able to respond to concerns related to arrivals on the Western
Balkans route this year, including those expressed by Austria.

Vienna is reluctant to accepting Romania and Bulgaria
into the Schengen area, for reasons related to the management of migration
flows. Romania reiterates its willingness to make active and substantial
contributions to the implementation of the measures proposed by the European
Commission, in close cooperation with its other EU partners and in the spirit
of solidarity and responsibility. (AMP)