EU, Parliament approves new rules for migrants: stricter controls and mandatory solidarity between states
All member states will have to help the first host countries. Von del Leyen: 'A huge step for Europe'
3' min read
3' min read
In a particularly heated parliamentary session, the European Parliament gave its approval to the migration package, a set of measures with which the EU wants to ensure greater solidarity between member states in dealing with immigration. Overall, popular, socialists and liberals supported the compromise on the table. Loud protests against the reform came from human rights activists in the audience.
"This is a huge step for Europe," said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference.
The parliamentary approval came after over three years of EU negotiations. "Worried by those who voted against? I would have been worried if the pact had not passed,' commented Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament. In fact, the centrist parties hope with the approval of the reform to take votes away from the extreme right at the next elections.
The package of regulations and directives - which were finally approved one by one by the Parliament today, 10 April - includes stricter controls on the arrival of migrants on EU territory; reception centres close to the EU's external borders to quickly return those who do not qualify for asylum; and a mechanism of compulsory solidarity between member states - countries will be able to choose whether to accept migrants or to provide funding.
The current rule that the first country of arrival is responsible for the asylum application will be maintained, with specific adjustments. In order to accommodate someEastern countries, which are against compulsory reception, solidarity will take the form of economic aid (20,000 euros per migrant). Nevertheless, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called the package approved today by the European Parliament "a green light for illegal immigration".
