Connect with us

World

‘It’s 50/50 chances’: EU on the cusp of major deal on migration

Published

on

‘It’s 50/50 chances’: EU on the cusp of major deal on migration

After years of divisive and bitter debates, the European Union is nearing a major deal to establish a unified migration policy.

Ministers of home affairs from across the European Union are meeting today in Luxembourg to decide if they vote or reject a new set of rules to collectively manage the reception and relocation of asylum seekers.

If approved, the agreement would represent an incontestable breakthrough in the long and arduous fight to establish a common framework to govern migration, one of the most explosive and polarising topics on the EU’s agenda.

The EU Council would then be allowed to start negotiations with the European Parliament with the goal of wrapping up the legislation before next year’s EU elections.

The ultimate objective is to do away with the ad-hoc crisis management mode that has been in place since the 2015 migration crisis and has proven woefully inadequate to cope with the challenge of cross-border dimensions.

Advertisement

Last year, the EU received more than 962,000 asylum applications, the highest figure in the past six years.

“It’s 50/50 chances,” said a senior diplomat ahead of the high-stakes vote, speaking on condition of anonymity to express their feelings more freely.

“We’re very hopeful. It’s delicate. But we think it’s possible,” said a diplomat from a different country.

The optimism is being shared by Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for home affairs, who on Tuesday said there was a “big chance” to strike a deal.

“If there is a will, there will be an agreement,” Johansson told reporters.

Advertisement

The rules on the table stem from the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, a holistic proposal presented by the European Commission back in September 2020.

The pact’s most innovative element is a system of “mandatory solidarity” that would give member states three options to manage the influx of new arrivals.

  • Accept a number of relocated asylum-seekers.
  • Pay for the return of rejected applicants to their country of origin.
  • Finance so-called “operational measures,” such as infrastructure and transport.

This solidarity mechanism, together with new rules on asylum procedures, are the two pieces of legislation that will be put on the table on Thursday.

But the draft laws have been considerably reworked since the Commission’s 2020 presentation. In fact, ministers will discuss a compromise text drafted by Sweden, the country that currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council and acts as an honest broker in the talks.

Sweden circulated its latest proposal on Tuesday evening, leaving officials to pour over the text’s details at record time before Thursday’s meeting.

The compromise has been described as a “fine balance” between solidarity– coded language for relocation – and responsibility – the brunt borne by frontline countries who have to process the majority of asylum applications.

Advertisement

Member states have for years been haggling on how to calibrate the scale.

On the one hand, southern countries, whose asylum systems are often overwhelmed and under-resourced, have repeatedly demanded legally-binding agreements on the redistribution of migrants across the bloc.

Germany, a country with a traditionally migration-friendly policy, has also backed the idea of a permanent system of relocation.

But on the other hand, Central and Eastern European states forcefully oppose any measure that would force them to host asylum seekers within their borders – or even contribute financially to their return, as it is envisioned in the current proposal.

Poland, in particular, has come against a proposed figure of €22,000 that countries will have to pay for each asylum seeker they do not wish to relocate.

Advertisement

The vote on Thursday will be taken by qualified majority, which means the draft law will need the approval of a minimum of 15 member states representing at least 65% of the EU’s population.

“There is momentum,” said a senior diplomat ahead of the vote. “But differences remain. Success is by no means certain.”

According to diplomats, the key vote will be delivered by Italy, which is facing a  steep rise in migrants arriving on the country’s shores through the dangerous Mediterranean route.

The government in Rome has declared a state of emergency to deal with the situation, marking the first time since 2011 this radical decision is taken.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

World

US military conducts successful airstrikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen

Published

on

US military conducts successful airstrikes on Houthi rebel forces in Yemen

The U.S. military confirmed it conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control center operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the successful strikes in a release Saturday, saying they were meant to “disrupt and degrade” Houthi operations.

“CENTCOM forces conducted the deliberate strikes to disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a news release.

DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELS

The U.S. military successfully conducted airstrikes in Yemen, saying it targeted a missile storage site and a command-and-control site operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. (CENTCOM via X)

Advertisement

Footage from CENTCOM showed F/A-18’s taking off. The agency said it also used assets from the Navy and the Air Force.

US NAVY SHIPS REPEL ATTACK FROM HOUTHIS IN GULF OF ADEN 

“The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners and international shipping,” it said.

Houthi rebels

Houthi followers burn the Israeli and American flags on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

The attacks against shipping are ongoing, and Houthi militants have vowed to continue until Israel ends its campaign in Gaza.

Advertisement

The terrorist group has targeted more than 100 merchant vessels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

World

Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

Published

on

Fact check: How deadly was 2024 for journalists?

An estimated 104 journalists lost their lives in 2024, with Palestine the most dangerous territory.

ADVERTISEMENT

An estimated 104 journalists were killed worldwide over the past year, according to data shared earlier this month by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Another report by NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) puts the figure at 54, but its methodology means it only includes killings that are considered “directly related” to journalists’ professional activity.

Both organisations say that Palestine is the deadliest place on earth for journalists. More than half (55) of the 104 killings reported by IFJ were Palestinian media professionals in Gaza, while a further six were killed in Lebanon.

At least 138 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on 7 October 2023, making the country one of the “most dangerous in the history of modern journalism, behind Iraq, the Philippines and Mexico,” according to the IFJ.

Reporters without Borders has described the number of killings in Gaza as “an unprecedented bloodbath”.

Advertisement

Israel firmly denies it has intentionally targeted any journalists, but has recognised some that have been killed in its airstrikes on Gaza.

The 104 total killings reported by the IFJ is a slight decrease on the 129 they reported on in 2023, which is considered the bloodiest year for journalists since 1990.

How do other world regions fare?

Asia Pacific is the world’s second most dangerous region for journalists, after the Middle East, according to the IFJ.

It recorded 20 deaths in the region in 2024, of which 70% happened in the southern Asian countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The region has seen an “upsurge” in violence, according to the IFJ, with deaths increasing sharply from the 12 recorded in 2023.

Advertisement

Africa was the third most dangerous region for journalists at eight deaths, five of them in war-torn Sudan.

The number of journalists killed in south, central and north America has dropped sharply over the past two years, from 30 in 2022 to six in 2023, and another six in 2024. Mexico, considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world to do journalism, continues to see “threats, intimidation, kidnappings and murders” against journalists, particularly due to reporting on drug trafficking.

Number of journalists behind bars on the rise

According to IFJ estimates on 10 December, there were 520 journalists in prison across the world, considerably more than in 2023 (427) and 2022 (375).

China, including Hong Kong, accounts for most of journalists behind bars, followed by Israel and Myanmar.

The IFJ says the figures show how “fragile” the independent press is and how “risky and dangerous” the profession of journalism has become.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

World

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

Published

on

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant
Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.
Continue Reading

Trending