BRUSSELS – The European Commission has released an assessment showing that illegal migrant arrivals in the EU have decreased by 35 percent over the past year. The Commission suggests that the EU Council approve a resettlement scheme for migrants, with exceptions for the most impacted countries.
The countries affected include Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, and Poland, which have faced significant migratory pressure over the last five years. It is recommended that these nations receive either partial or full exemptions from the scheme next year. Bulgaria, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, and Finland have seen a high influx of migrants in recent years, leading to accommodation challenges, and thus should receive priority EU support, according to the Commission.
Under the proposed solidarity scheme, EU member states are expected to either accept resettled migrants or contribute financially. The Commission clarified that details regarding the implementation of the scheme (including quotas for migrant distribution and financial contributions) will not be made public until the EU Council reviews it. Member states must agree on these parameters, which will become mandatory once adopted, the Commission stated.
The process is anticipated to be finalized by mid-next year. The EC will issue an annual report on the migration situation, which will inform future quotas and financial contributions. Countries most affected by migrant inflows will be able to request resettlement under established schemes.
During the proposal presentation, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Bruner highlighted that significant reforms in the EU’s migration policy are on the horizon. He noted that since the implementation of fully electronic checks at the EU’s external borders a month ago, there have been four million recorded crossings, along with data collected from over three million foreigners. (November 11)
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