“120,000 refugees? We are ridiculous given the scale of the problem”. That’s what Juncker said at the beguinning of the EU Home Affairs ministers meeting, he reminded that Lebanon and Jordan host milions of refugees . This summit reflects the internal divisions in the EU : Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary voted against the relocation plan , Finland abstained. A majority vote was needed. The agreement achieved is on the replacement of 120 thousands of refugees, they will start with the transfer of 66 thousands of asylum seekers from Italy and Greece within a year. Only for exceptional circumstances the states will be allowed to have a one year delay for the transfer of 30% of refugees and there won’t be economic reimbursements.
Schengen 30’s anniversary but the walls are back
The 30’s anniversary of Schengen was recently celebrated, but the walls are back in Europe. Few days after Juncker’s speech on the State of the Union , Germany after having declared willingness to host migrants, put again the checks point at the borders , even if temporarily. Austria, where many volunteers left to Hungary by cars to help migrants to get in their country, also put back the borders and then Slovenia. Probably Poland , Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands and France will follow.
As already confirmed by EU spokepersons in past weeks and as it is written in the analysis by Andreia Ghimis of the European Policy Centre (EPC), temporary borders controls are legal. The article 25 in the Schengen code, as mentioned in the report as well, allowes the EU member state facing threats to internal security to reintroduce the controls at its borders. Initially the state can do that for a period of up to 10 days. If the threats persist, it is possible to extend that measure for several renewable periods of 20 days, up to two months. This does not mean that a member state can arbitrarily decide to reintroduce the controls borders, the legislation mandates to evaluate the necessity and proportionality of the controls that it decides to reintroduce. The EPC analysis reminds that a state has to demonstrate the threat on internal security and also the consequences of borders controls on citizens freedom of movement. Furthermore, the measures that member state has to prove that the measures undertaken are effectively needed. The EU Commission must keep informed constantly the EU Parliament and the Council and ensure that the measures undertaken by the state are “proportionate “and “necessary”. Terms that appear vague and unclear led to different interpretations by the member state and resulted in different behaviours: Austria and Germany did not expect such a big immediate flux of migrants and so they reintroduced the borders controls to slow down the flux and maintain the security order , while Slovenia seems reintroduced them in anticipation of the refugees arrivals and without immediate threats .
On that last case, as the author of the EPC analysis remarks, the EU Commission should investigate more in depth on Slovenian decision.
With regard to Germany, it won’t close to asylum seekers applications and according with the analysis, it could be possible that it decided to reitroduce the controls to push the other states to solidarity and to take decisions.
A major factor behind the behaviour of central and eastern EU countries are the upcoming elections: this year in Poland, and next year in Slovakia. On the other hand, citizens from those states do not want to give up with the freedom of movement that as new member states they obtained not so much time ago. Not to be underestimated are also the economic consequences of the reintroduction of controls at the borders.
@IreneGiuntella
“120,000 refugees? We are ridiculous given the scale of the problem”. That’s what Juncker said at the beguinning of the EU Home Affairs ministers meeting, he reminded that Lebanon and Jordan host milions of refugees . This summit reflects the internal divisions in the EU : Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary voted against the relocation plan , Finland abstained. A majority vote was needed. The agreement achieved is on the replacement of 120 thousands of refugees, they will start with the transfer of 66 thousands of asylum seekers from Italy and Greece within a year. Only for exceptional circumstances the states will be allowed to have a one year delay for the transfer of 30% of refugees and there won’t be economic reimbursements.
