EU asylum policy: Austria also plans asylum centre outside the EU

In addition to Denmark, Austria also wants to establish a centre for rejected asylum seekers outside the EU. The EU Commission wants to better protect the external borders.

EU asylum policy: Austria also plans asylum centre outside the EU

Austria and Denmark want to establish a centre for rejected asylum seekers. It would be outside EU, but still on European continent, said Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian briefly confirmed plans. "It is an initiative in consultation with a few European countries," he said when visiting Brussels at European Commission.

In his view, refugees in Europe could currently choose where y made ir application for asylum. He had refore proposed long ago to offer protection to people outside EU, said Conservative politician. The Commission did not object, said head of authorities, Jean-Claude Juncker. Rasmussen said that with some countries WieDeutschland, Nerlands and Austria, via projects are already being discussed.

No one said in which country new location is to be located. "To be honest, it should be in a state that is not one of preferred targets of migrants and human smugglers," Rasmussen said.

Long-term dispute over distribution ratio

Commission chief Juncker gives priority to protection of EU's external borders. "For me, issue of protecting external borders is more important than any or subordinate question," he said. If EU continues to do so, controversial issue of distribution of refugees within EU can also be spared.

Juncker had met with Austria's chancellor briefly, who had travelled to Brussels with his cabinet because Austria took over from July to EU Presidency. Since December, right-wing populist FPOe, which wants a tougher course in migration policy, has briefly ruled.

Merkel for European asylum system

A new asylum law policy has been one of EU's projects since 2015 refugee crisis. However, re is little progress due to long-term dispute over distribution of refugees by quotas to countries. The EU interior ministers failed on Tuesday with a new attempt to reform.

At moment, so-called Dublin Agreement provides for asylum seekers to be sent back to first EU state y have entered – in or words EU's foreign states. The system does not work anymore. The federal government had overridden it in 2015 because it saw refugees in Hungary in humanitarian distress. In particular, countries on fringes of Europe, such as Greece and Italy, are pushing for a fair redistribution of refugees within EU.

Chancellor Angela Merkel once again campaigned for her idea of a common European asylum system. "We also need a European asylum authority in medium term to carry out its work on EU's external borders," said Merkel in Munich at EPP Group's meeting, merger of conservative parties in European Parliament. In order to be able to permanently reduce and control immigration to Europe, neir a European border police nor agreements with or States were sufficient. It is a challenge to combat causes of escape. "We need development opportunities in countries of origin."

Date Of Update: 07 June 2018, 12:02
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