“We are opting for a financial contribution due to the full capacity of our reception centers. This funding can assist other member states in finding long-term solutions,” stated the minister prior to a meeting with her European colleagues in Luxembourg.
The asylum and migration pact, set to be implemented next year, features a solidarity mechanism for nations facing significant migration challenges. In this framework, ministers will need to agree in the upcoming months on the allocation of 30,000 asylum seekers. Nations that decline to accept asylum seekers must contribute financially, with a fee of 20,000 euros per individual.
The discussion surrounding this issue is highly sensitive politically, with even the calculation method becoming a point of heated debate. The pact requires the European Commission to deliver a proposal for the upcoming year by October 15. However, Commissioner Magnus Brunner has conceded that this deadline will not be fulfilled. “The timing of its delivery is not critical; what matters most is effective implementation,” he remarked.
For Van Bossuyt, it is crucial that Belgium’s disproportionate burden from secondary migration is acknowledged. She also stressed the obligation of arrival countries to repatriate asylum seekers. “Solidarity and responsibility must work hand in hand. The success of the pact largely hinges on this principle.”
Leave a Reply