EU member states need to spearhead the shaping of migration policies
The European Commission has presented a new pact on migration and asylum for discussion among EU interior ministers, set to take place in a video conference on Thursday. However, this proposal has not been met with universal approval, particularly from migration expert Gerald Knaus, the architect of the EU-Turkey deal from 2016.
Gerald Knaus, the founding chairman of the think tank European Stability Initiative (ESI), has expressed concerns that the new pact does not address the need for continued cooperation with third countries like Turkey to control the EU's external borders without sacrificing values such as human dignity. This view seems to be unaddressed in the new pact, as it is not a continuation of the EU-Turkey deal from 2016.
Moreover, Knaus believes that Germany, France, and Italy should take the lead in EU migration policy to effectively control the EU's external borders without compromising on human dignity. Yet, the new pact does not seem to address his call for a group of EU countries to take the lead in migration policy.
The new pact also faces criticism from Knaus regarding the EU Commission's plan to force reluctant member states to carry out deportations of rejected asylum seekers. Knaus has dismissed this plan, and it appears that the new pact does not address his concerns in this regard.
Interestingly, Knaus' views seem to be at odds with the new pact, as it does not seem to bridge the unbridgeable divide within the EU that he believes the EU Commission is trying to address. The new pact on migration and asylum is a separate proposal from the EU Commission's previous plan that was criticised by Knaus, and it is not a continuation of the EU-Turkey deal.
Despite these criticisms, the new pact will be discussed among EU interior ministers in the upcoming video conference. The topic of discussion is the new pact on migration and asylum, and it remains to be seen how the ministers will respond to Knaus' criticisms and whether the pact will be amended to address his concerns.
In conclusion, the new pact on migration and asylum presented by the EU Commission has sparked debate among experts and ministers, with migration expert Gerald Knaus expressing concerns that it does not address the need for continued cooperation with third countries and the call for a group of EU countries to take the lead in migration policy. The upcoming video conference among EU interior ministers will provide an opportunity for these concerns to be addressed.
