European Parliament approves rules to tighten migration policy

Flags of European Union countries at the headquarters of the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France Hassan Anayi/Unsplash The European Parliament definitively adopted this Tuesday (10) two central texts to tighten the continent’s migration policy, thanks to an alliance between the right and the extreme right. ✅ Follow g1’s international news channel on WhatsApp The new rules will allow European Union member states to return asylum seekers to countries from which they do not originate, but which Europe considers “safe”. This idea has already been tested by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with centers in Albania, although it has so far faced legal obstacles. The text approved this Tuesday could facilitate the application of the concept, which generates great concern among NGOs and left-wing parties, who fear about the reception conditions for asylum seekers in these countries. “It’s another step in the dehumanization of the European Union’s migration policy”, lamented Mélissa Camara, denouncing that the dignity of asylum seekers is being “trampled on”. The European Commission rejects the criticism and states that the countries to which these migrants will be sent must respect fundamental rights. List of safe countries Another important measure included in the texts approved in Parliament is the creation of a list of countries that the European Union considers “safe”, which, in practice, limits the chances of granting asylum to its citizens. The proposal of the list, which includes Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia, is to speed up the analysis of asylum requests and, eventually, speed up repatriation. “Citizens expect us to fulfill our promises in terms of migration policy, and that is exactly what we are doing”, celebrated conservative MEP Lena Düpont in the plenary. The drop in arrivals – around 25% fewer irregular arrivals compared to last year – has not reduced the pressure on the continent’s political leaders. On the contrary, Europe’s political center of gravity has shifted to the right, putting pressure on its leaders to further tighten migration policy.

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