Germany has called for the creation of a rapid reaction force under the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to assist countries in the event of a sudden surge in migration at the EU's external borders, similar to what occurred in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this summer.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated during a press conference in Munich on Saturday that Europe must establish "a new support mechanism for countries facing such pressure at their external borders."
The conservative minister added, ahead of a meeting with 16 of his EU counterparts and European Commissioner Magnus Brenner to discuss migration issues, "In other words, a rapid reaction force under Frontex, capable of providing the necessary support to countries on the EU's external borders within 24 hours."
For his part, Brenner indicated that the European Commission would provide Frontex with a "reinforced" mandate "in the near future," enabling it to "act more quickly and flexibly before events escalate into real crises."
Dobrindt emphasized that the German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which has prioritized stricter immigration policy to curb the rise of the far right, "is convinced that Frontex can be used more extensively in return procedures," particularly through the third countries they transit through, as well as within the framework of the Dublin Regulation within the European Union, which determines the country responsible for deciding on an asylum application.
Commissioner Brenner asserted that Frontex should play "a more significant and intensive role in return operations."
Germany is currently working with Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, and Greece to establish return centers (deportation centers) in a country outside the European Union, with the aim of returning rejected asylum seekers.
K. Dobrindt emphasized the goal announced by these five countries: to present preliminary agreements with countries outside the bloc "by the end of the year."
For its part, the International Rescue Committee condemned the return centers on Thursday, describing them as "a cruel and costly approach that strips people of their dignity and basic rights."
0 Comments