Re-elected EU Commission (EC) president, Ursula von der Leyen has promised to further shore up the EU’s borders as she starts her second term as president of the European Commission.
On July 18, in her acceptance speech, the politician underlined her priorities for Europe over the coming five years, including in the field of migration policy.
This includes that EU’s border agency Frontex should triple its staff. Von der Leyen also blamed Russia for luring migrants from Yemen and forcing them against the Finnish border as part of a concept known as instrumentalization.
“We should always keep in mind that a member state’s border is a European border. And we will do everything we can to make them stronger,” she said. We can do is invest in security and the defense of our own continent, the EC President pointed out. The comment comes less than a week after Finland pushed through a controversial law that allows for illegal pushbacks.
Strengthening the Frontex
In the future, the Frontex should have 30 000 operators when it comes to operations. Von der Leyen had pledged during her previous term to bring the number of Frontex officers up to 10 000 by 2027.
She clarified that the growth of Frontex will help to improve border security and our ability to better handle migration. “Europe needs to respond to migration challenges,” she stated, emphasizing that the goal of the recently established migration and asylum accord is precisely that. Europe’s Eastern Border needed particular attention, it was “becoming a target for hybrid attacks and provocations.” The politician said that “Russia is luring migrants from Yemen up north and pushing them deliberately against the Finnish border. This is why she proposed tripling the number officers of Frontex and doubling the Europol’s number of staff.
The Commission’s policies regarding the prevention of irregular migration, which include dealings with autocrat leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and other places, have been guided by the phrase “strengthened EU borders.”
The politician claimed that the Mediterranean area merited “undivided attention.” In order to assist in securing similar future agreements, Von der Leyen now desires an EU commissioner for the Mediterranean in addition to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s nominee for head of foreign policy.
Slowing or diverting arrivals still remains a top priority amid promise for more “comprehensive partnerships, in particular across our Southern neighbourhood,” von der Leyen said.
Offshoring Migration
Even as people were being roundup and dumped in the deserts, last year’s agreement with Tunisia was touted as a model for future accords. Tunisia is now demanding more funds. Just one day prior to the European Parliament’s vote, Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani of Tunisia pleaded with European nations to provide more financial support to his nation and others in order to help stem the flow of migrants. Residents’ protests and increased expenses have been brought on by the influx of migrants from sub-Saharan African nations into Tunisia.
The European Union gave Tunisia 150 million euros as part of an agreement to combat illegal immigration. Aside from ignoring the European Parliament and its MEPs, the European Commission has expedited the transfer of €1 billion to Egypt.
Libya and Tunisia have become the most preferred destinations for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa in recent years. As of January 2024, there were more than 706 000 migrants in Libya, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in May. Libyan Interior Minister Emad Trabulsi said, however, that Libya was hosting 2.5 million refugees. The UN Refugee Agency UNHCR said it registered 11 535 refugees between January 2023 and April of this year, bringing the total number in the country to 16 500.
Implementation of EU Migration and Asylum Pact
About the pact, approved just at the end of her last term in office, von der Leyen said that the EU was making sure that “solidarity is at the heart of our common response.” She said the “European response” to migration challenges needed to be “fair and firm” and an approach “based on our values.” She said that the agreement on the pact had shown critics that the EU was able to agree on migration policy and that it would be important to focus on the implementation of the pact in the next five years. The implementation, partly under the aegis of a belligerent EU presidency led by Hungary. János Bóka, Hungary’s European minister, had earlier this month told reporters that the EU presidency would help coordinate implementation with member states.
“The reform creates a patchwork legislative framework and entrenches a constant regime of exception, ultimately defeating the proclaimed aim of harmonization of asylum systems,” said Refugee Support Aegean, a Greek-based civil society group, in a report earlier this month.
Post-Brexit Cooperation with the UK
On the same day as the EU parliament voted von der Leyen back in, many European leaders were in the UK for the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). Britain’s new Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had his first opportunity to discuss themes like migration with representatives from across Europe.
On the fringes of the EPC summit, Starmer had a one-on-one meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to talk about what more can be done to prevent the thousands of migrants who risk their lives every year to cross the English Channel from France. “Strengthen their cooperation on irregular migration” and “reinvigorate” their defense partnership were the two promises made by Macron and Stramer.
Starmer also mentioned the smuggling gangs network as No 1 issue which needs to resolved. “A veritable criminal empire is today at work throughout Europe. It profits from human misery and despair, sending countless innocent people to their deaths in the waters of the English Channel,” he said.
