2023-06-17 06:47:10
The migration expert Gerald Knaus does not consider the planned EU asylum reform to be expedient. “We really need something better, and we need it as soon as possible to stop dying in the Mediterranean,” said the Austrian on German television on Friday evening. “This pact will not lead to less irregular migration.” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), on the other hand, expects asylum solidarity from Hungary and Germany, as he told the “Kurier” (Saturday).
“All states that have negotiated this are now taking a close look and will realize that it is of no use to them, neither Germany nor Italy, neither Greece nor Poland,” explained Knaus in ZDF’s “heute journal”. Knaus criticized that if there are mandatory procedures at the EU’s external border, then Italy, for example, still does not know what should happen to people following the procedure has been completed. “There is a high probability that Italy will not do these border procedures at all,” said Knaus. The question of speedy, high-quality procedures is always a question of resources: “How many translators are there and how many people submit an application?” And these resources are likely to be lacking in the future as well.
Knaus advocated allowing people who have family members in Germany to enter the country legally. On the other hand, people who want to enter the country for other reasons but are not in need of protection must be discouraged from making the journey. “And then you need measures with returns to safe countries through migration diplomacy,” said Knaus.
Knaus had previously stated on WDR that the EU asylum pact might not change anything. “This pact will not lead to less irregular migration.” The pact will not enforce the law at the EU’s external border once more, and it also has no strategy of repatriations and the establishment of safer partner countries. “This pact is not a solution, and the member states of the EU now know that,” said Knaus.
The EU interior ministers had decided on plans for far-reaching asylum reform. Numerous tightening measures are planned to limit illegal migration. In the future, people from countries that are considered relatively safe should come to strictly controlled reception facilities under prison-like conditions following crossing the border.
There, it would normally be checked within twelve weeks whether the applicant has a chance of asylum. If not, it should be sent back immediately. The plans are not final yet, they are being further negotiated with the EU Parliament.
On Wednesday, a completely overcrowded boat with migrants sank off the Greek coast. According to previous reports, the people on board rejected an offer of help from the Greek coast guard because they wanted to go to Italy. According to survivors, the UN organizations estimate that between 300 and 750 people were on board. Initially only 104 were rescued and 78 bodies recovered.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), on the other hand, expects other EU countries to show solidarity with Austria following the latest EU asylum compromise when it comes to accepting asylum seekers. Karner explicitly mentioned Hungary and Germany in an interview with the “Kurier” (Saturday edition). “Germany is ten times the size, but only had twice as many asylum applications” as Austria, which recorded 112,000 asylum applications last year, said Karner.
The controversial release of people smugglers in Hungary, which had caused outrage across all parties in Austria, he “discussed very clearly and intensively with the Hungarian Minister of the Interior (Sandor Pinter, ed.),” said Karner. Pinter assured him that those smugglers who were arrested in a joint police action with Austria were still in prison. The released people are therefore traffickers who have been in prison longer and have served most of their sentences. “They were released in the direction of Serbia,” said Karner.
Karner continues to adhere to the border controls with Slovenia. However, the Austrian police will ensure that tourist traffic flows as smoothly as possible, the interior minister assured. In terms of content, Karner justified the controls with route changes by the smugglers, which would increasingly come via Croatia and Slovenia, but also via Poland and Germany. With regard to Austria’s veto once morest the Schengen expansion to include Romania and Bulgaria, “nothing has significantly changed in the situation,” said Karner, “which is why I still consider the controls to be absolutely necessary.”
When asked regarding the practice of illegally pushing refugees back, Karner said that forcibly pushing them back is illegal. His proposal is a rejection policy. “The possibility of rejection already exists if someone does not want to apply for asylum and does not have a legal residence permit. This also happens at the Austrian borders.” According to Karner, fast track procedures at the EU’s external borders are a step in the right direction. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl did not make a single pushback during his time as interior minister, said Karner, who certified the Freedom Party “to speak big”.
1686985096
#Migration #expert #Knaus #asylum #reform #effective
