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European Union Asks Member Countries to Accept Quotas of Migrants European Union Asks Member Countries to Accept Quotas of Migrants
(about 11 hours later)
BRUSSELS — The European Union authorities appealed to the bloc’s member states on Wednesday to accept quotas of migrants to relieve the burden on southern states like Italy and Greece that are the main landing points for the surging numbers of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea. BRUSSELS — The European Union authorities formally appealed to the bloc’s member states on Wednesday to accept quotas of migrants to relieve the burden on southern states like Italy and Greece that are the main landing points for them.
The proposal by the European Commission, the Brussels-based executive arm of the European Union, is a response to concerns that the bloc’s southern coastal states could become overwhelmed by the inflow of migrants making the dangerous crossing in often rickety and unseaworthy vessels. The proposal by the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union based in Brussels, is a response to concern that the bloc’s southern coastal states could become overwhelmed by the inflow of migrants making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in often rickety and unseaworthy vessels.
The International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday that migrants who have gone missing, or who are known to have died, while crossing the Mediterranean numbered 1,840 people so far this year. That compared with 425 people during the same period last year. The International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday that 1,840 migrants had been lost at sea or were known to have died while crossing the Mediterranean so far this year. That compares with 425 people during the same period last year.
The organization said that Italy and Greece had received most of the 78,826 migrants who had reached the European Union this year. And while the organization was not able to make an exact comparison, it said that arrivals in Italy over the same period last year were mostly unchanged at about 41,000. In Greece, however, it said there was a significant increase, with 37,000 people arriving so far this year compared with 34,000 during all of 2014. The organization said Italy and Greece had received most of the 78,826 migrants who reached Europe this year. And while it was not able to make an exact comparison, it said arrivals in Italy over the same period last year were mostly unchanged at about 41,000. In Greece, however, there was a significant increase, with 37,000 people arriving so far this year compared with 34,000 during all of 2014.
The recent deaths of thousands of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean prompted the bloc to draft the emergency response to stave off a worsening of the humanitarian crisis.The recent deaths of thousands of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean prompted the bloc to draft the emergency response to stave off a worsening of the humanitarian crisis.
But a large number of member states including Britain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Latvia have already pushed back against the idea of mandatory quotas. In an effort to make the plans more acceptable, the commission said any migrants who did not meet asylum criteria would not be allowed to stay. Angelino Alfano, the Italian interior minister, said Wednesday that he was cautiously optimistic that the European Union could approve a plan to help his country deal with the crisis. A day earlier, the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said he believed that European Union leaders could reach an agreement at a meeting in late June.
“Everyone who needs sanctuary should find it in Europe,” said Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the commission. “But those who have no justified claim should be quickly identified and returned to their home country,” he said. But by moving forward a proposal that is already unpopular in many countries, the commission has exacerbated tensions over the broader issue of immigration in the European Union. A large number of member states, including Britain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Latvia, have already pushed back against the idea of mandatory quotas. And a mandatory quota would require a vote by a two-thirds majority of member states under the European Union’s weighted voting system to take effect.
The proposal for the quotas, which are expected to be high on the agenda at a summit meeting of European Union leaders on June 26, consists of two parts. The approval of a two-thirds majority of member states under the European Union’s weighted voting system will be needed before any mandatory rules take effect. Asylum seekers are often unwelcome in countries where there is little experience of accepting newcomers from Africa and the Middle East, as in the Baltics, or where the population already believes that the country is overcrowded, as in Britain. Some countries have also criticized Italy and Greece for what they see as failing to identify migrants who do not qualify for asylum.
The British and Irish have the option not to participate in the mandatory quota system under existing agreements with the European Union, but others, including the Czechs and other East and Central Europeans, would need to try to mount enough opposition to block approval. The Danes are exempted from participation in most European Union asylum rules. In an effort to make the plan more acceptable, the commission said any migrants who did not meet asylum criteria would not be allowed to stay.
The first quota is an emergency plan to temporarily relocate 40,000 migrants arriving in Italy and Greece to other states across the European Union during the next two years under a mandatory system. Those migrants, expected to be from Syria and Eritrea, would remain in Europe while they underwent asylum review to determine whether they could stay. “Everyone who needs sanctuary should find it in Europe,” said Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the commission. “But those who have no justified claim should be quickly identified and returned to their home country.”
A second quota plan would resettle 20,000 refugees — these could include Syrians from camps in Lebanon and Turkey — over two years across the European Union. Candidates for the resettlement program would be identified by the United Nations refugee authorities. Participation in that system is expected to be voluntary for European Union countries. The first quota is an emergency plan to temporarily relocate 40,000 migrants arriving in Italy and Greece to other states during the next two years under a mandatory system. Those migrants, expected to be from Syria and Eritrea, would remain in Europe while they underwent asylum review to determine whether they could stay.
A second quota plan would resettle 20,000 refugees — these could include Syrians from camps in Lebanon and Turkey — over two years across Europe. Candidates for the resettlement program would be identified by the United Nations refugee authorities. Participation in that system is expected to be voluntary for European Union countries.
Under a distribution system based on the capacity of countries to accept migrants, France and Germany would take the most people under both of the quota systems.Under a distribution system based on the capacity of countries to accept migrants, France and Germany would take the most people under both of the quota systems.
The quotas are just part of the response that Europeans have considered to deal with a migrant crisis that has been made more acute by the instability in Libya, a frequent launching point for smugglers, who often earn thousands of dollars for each passenger. The country has become ungovernable since Western powers backed a revolt that ousted Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi four years ago. Britain and Ireland can choose not to participate in the mandatory quota system under existing agreements with the European Union. But others, including the Czech Republic and other East and Central European countries, would need to mount sufficient opposition to block approval. Denmark is exempt from most European Union asylum rules.
This month, European foreign and defense ministers agreed to use military force to disable or sink smugglers’ vessels in order to break up their business networks. But European officials still need to answer numerous questions about how naval forces would operate in Libyan waters — including whether those forces would take migrants rescued near African shores back to Libya or to Europe for asylum review. Elizabeth Collett, the director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe, a research institute based in Brussels, said some of the most powerful countries would push hard for the emergency quota ahead of a possible surge in arrivals this summer.
The crisis is an extremely delicate issue at a time when immigration has climbed the political agenda in many countries, including Britain and France. Countries like the Czech Republic say they have already absorbed large numbers of migrants from Ukraine and are not prepared to accept many more from other regions. “Countries like Germany and Sweden have enormous moral authority here,” Ms. Collett said, “because they are not only ready to do more themselves to take in asylum seekers, at least temporarily, but they are firmly in favor of the rest of the European Union doing their part, too.”
The quotas are just part of the response that Europeans have considered to deal with a migrant crisis that has been made more acute by the instability in Libya, a frequent beginning point for smugglers. The country has become ungovernable since Western powers backed a revolt that ousted Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi four years ago.
This month, European foreign and defense ministers agreed to use military force to disable or sink smugglers’ vessels to break up their business networks. But European officials still need to answer numerous questions about how naval forces would operate in Libyan waters — including whether those forces would take migrants rescued near African shores back to Libya or to Europe for asylum review.