Following a meeting in Copenhagen, five EU countries say they are ready to take the next concrete step towards establishing return centres for asylum seekers in third countries.
This emerges from a series of documents distributed at today’s press conference.
The group consists of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Greece. They have agreed on three guiding principles that are to set the course for a system of return centres, Berlingske writes.
- The model is to create a «noticeable reduction in the number of people migrating illegally to the EU and create a safer and more humane integration system
- The model is a joint European project in accordance with European human rights and EU law
- It is to be established through «equal and mutually beneficial partnerships» with countries outside the EU
– From the Danish side, we expect to be ready to send the first foreigners to a partner country by the end of next year. This is an important step towards a more effective asylum and migration system, says Denmark’s Minister for Immigration and Integration Morten Bødskov.
– We do not accept that foreigners who are staying illegally in Denmark should be rewarded because we have difficulties returning them. (NTB-AFP)
The European Parliament approved stricter migration rules in June that give member states far broader powers to detain migrants. At the same time, provision was made for establishing deportation centres in third countries.
Denmark will only send out asylum seekers whose asylum applications have been rejected. This means that in many cases the migrants may remain in Denmark for many years while they continuously appeal and delay the courts.
It is therefore an open question why the migrants cannot be deported to such centres immediately and remain there while their asylum applications are processed.
Non-governmental organisations that say they focus on human rights have, as expected, strongly criticised the decision. Countries in Africa, such as Uganda and Rwanda, have been mentioned as particularly likely locations for establishing such centres.
The British have previously shelved a plan to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda, following strong opposition from the British judiciary, which remains subject to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
https://www.document.no/2024/04/22/sunak-lover-nok-en-gang-a-sende-batmigranter-til-rwanda/
Many Britons struggle to understand why the United Kingdom remains subject to European conventions and courts ten years after Brexit. But the Tory Party is divided on the issue, and Labour would prefer the United Kingdom to become a full member of the EU again.
Reform UK, which is Britain’s largest party in all opinion polls, has, however, promised to withdraw Britain from both the ECHR and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) if it takes power after the next election.
Italy has also attempted to establish asylum reception centres in Albania. But Giorgia Meloni’s government has faced legal challenges and opposition from Italian courts.
