After extensive convoluted negotiations and a series of unsuccessful attempts, the controversially debated revamping of the European Union’s asylum policy received approval from the European Parliament on Wednesday.
This freshly adopted migration agreement will strengthen the borders of the European Union and includes strategies to assist southern countries frequently being the landing points for asylum seekers, in more effectively managing the influx.
Spanning eight years in development, the package of reforms, comprised of 10 Bills, secured approval from the 705-member parliament by slim margins of less than 30 votes in certain instances. The adopted measures will fortify the asylum policy with the intent to deter migrants, who are not eligible for asylum, from seeking a chance at improving their lives in Europe.
Human rights entities express concern that the rapid processing timelines for some asylum applications could escalate the likelihood of erroneous refusal of claims by vulnerable individuals. There is apprehension regarding new reception centres, such as those already established on the Greek island of Samos where conditions are likened to “prison-like”, becoming more common and standard along EU’s borders.
The pact faced opposition from Green and left-wing MEPs, who found it too extreme, as well as the far right, who believed it insufficient. Despite the majority of Irish MEPs voting against most measures, the agreement garnered support from MEPs of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Contrarily, many middle-ground MEPs voted in favour of the deal reluctantly, due to concerns that revisiting the proposal might lead to even sterner suggestions at the next parliament. The European Union has been grappling over the past decade with what was labelled in 2015 as the “migration crisis”. Introduced by the commission four years ago, the present agreement has its foundation in past attempts to reorganise asylum policy since 2016.
Additionally, existing side deals with Mediterranean countries such as Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, that have not been encapsulated in the pact, will serve as a context to the policy. These agreements, which offer funding in return for assistance in reducing the number of asylum seekers journeying to Europe, when coupled with the outcomes of the Wednesday vote, denote that the barricades of “fortress Europe” are poised to intensify and the protective barbed wire to grow even sharper.