Asylum seeker from another EU country can be returned at the border | Inland

EU migration ministers reached an agreement in Luxembourg on Friday on an amendment to the Schengen rules. From now on, migration within Europe is a valid reason to set up joint border controls with a neighboring country. Due to the open borders, EU countries must first request permission from Brussels. Previously, ‘secondary migration’ was not a valid reason.

The country bloc has further agreed that external borders must be virtually hermetically sealed if a hostile state deliberately chases migrants across the border, as happened through Belarus last summer.

Despite hopeful expectations, the migration ministers have not reached an agreement on the European Migration Pact. The file has been stuck for almost two years.

“Important steps have been taken,” said State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Asylum). “But the sensitive point is on the redistribution of migrants arriving in southern Europe.”

EU president France hopes to force a breakthrough before the end of the month. There is a proposal to deploy a ‘solidarity mechanism’ for a period of one year for the redistribution of 10,000 migrants. Participation would be voluntary. Countries that do not want to take over migrants can help in other ways, for example by giving money or supplying migration specialists.

Five Member States have offered to readmit migrants. The Netherlands does not want to do that because of the overcrowded reception centers. Another part of the package is better registration, screening and enforcement of the Dublin agreements. “That is the most important thing for us,” says Van der Burg. “Many people do not arrive at Schiphol, but via Southern Europe. It is important to register properly on arrival. Then we can see that someone is registered in Italy or Greece and that they have to go through the asylum procedure there.” better screening,

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