Out of an annual target that includes 8,000 pledges, the EU-wide relocation system introduced in June and hailed as a significant advancement in the reform of migration policy has so far resulted in the movement of 117 asylum seekers across the bloc.
A representative for the European Commission stated on Monday that “we are working very closely with all member states to ensure that we have a shared solution in place.“
“I realize this amount doesn’t seem like much, but we need to remember that we already have 8,000 pledges as such,” the speaker said.
The low numbers coincide with a surge in asylum applications not seen since the migratory crisis of 2015. 84,500 petitions were submitted in August alone, with Syrians and Afghans topping the list.
Tensions between EU nations are growing as border crossings gradually increase as they continue to disagree on an unified migration policy to handle new arrivals.
The disembarkation of the Ocean Viking, a ship that Rome was required by international law to permit to disembark, has soured relations between France and Italy.
There were 234 passengers on board the boat, which was run by the humanitarian organization SOS Méditerranée, including 57 children. Because some of them had been stuck on the ship for 19 days, there were concerns about possible fatalities.
France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, criticized Italy’s actions as “inhumane” and “incomprehensible,” claiming that since the ship was in Italian seas, it had to disembark there.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, expressed shock at the “aggressive reaction” coming from Paris, calling it “incomprehensible” and “unjustified.”
Asylum applications must be handled by the first country of entry in accordance with existing EU regulations. A state might abdicate this duty and transfer it to another nation by refusing to enter.
18 EU nations signed a declaration establishing the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism in late June with the help of Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein in an effort to create a more balanced and predictable system.
Hungary, Poland, Austria, and Denmark were among those who reject the idea.
A brand-new plan to allow the transfer of asylum seekers from Southern countries to other governments around the bloc is outlined in the joint statement.
This would exclude certain nationalities, such as Indian, Moroccan and Turkish, whose applications have broken records in recent months. It only applies to people in need of international protection who arrive via the Mediterranean route, giving priority to those considered “most vulnerable.”
‘Unequal notion of solidarity’
A permanent and effective relocation system is one of the top priorities sought by the European Commission and southern EU nations, and the voluntary mechanism, advocated by France during its six-month EU Council presidency, was hailed as a “historic accord” upon its signature.
The method is based on national commitments, which are created based on factors like population, GDP, and political priorities.
Each nation pledges to either accept asylum seekers into its country or to aid those who do so financially.
13 of the 21 nations that participate in the program have pledged to relocate their citizens, with the majority coming from France and Germany. The remaining 10 have opted to provide financial help.
Between June 2022 and June 2023, governments have agreed to relocate 8,000 asylum applicants.
A “political goal” that originally planned to transfer 3,000 individuals by the end of the year has been lowered to a more manageable target of 1,000 people, according to an internal document that was leaked by the investigative NGO State Watch. A spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment on the targets but did not dispute them.
But according to the most recent update from the EU executive, only 117 relocations had been finished by mid-November, or just 1.46% of the annual target of 8,000.
The European Commission is unable to compel compliance with national pledges because the system is wholly voluntary and not subject to any legal obligations. Both the European Court of Justice and the European Parliament are prohibited from exercising supervision.
If nations feel their migration systems are under “disproportionate pressure,” they can use the system’s opt-out provision to suspend relocations.
The lack of legal support for the program and the inherent selectivity of the relocation procedure, which gives governments the power to choose who to accept and who to refuse, have drawn criticism from experts.
The concept was found to be riddled with a “deep lack of predictability and foreseeability,” according to a study by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), and it preferred a “intergovernmental, asymmetric, and unequal notion of solidarity.”
The European Commission supports the procedure as a temporary option to lessen the load on southern EU members and handle the issue of disembarkations, despite criticism and the poor results thus far.
After the Ocean Viking incident, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin declared that nine European nations had agreed to accept two thirds of the rescued migrants, with the final third staying in France.
A spokeswoman for the Commission stated that “other member states have positively responded to France’s call for solidarity.”
“This is effective. And we’ll make sure to give the voluntary solidarity mechanism our full attention.”
