How is Europe tightening borders and speeding up returns? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot
The EU is toughening its migration policy, just months after rolling out the Migration and Asylum Pact. But where does it want to invest, and what tools does it plan to use? Ask the Euronews AI chatbot.
Last week, EU interior ministers and Commissioner Marcus Brunner gathered for the Justice and Home Affairs Council to tighten migration rules. Their focus was on stricter border controls and faster returns, echoing discussions from the Munich Migration Conference on September 26th. The member states introduced a European Return Order, a standardized form to be filled out with the crucial details of a return decision.
They aim to provide national authorities with the necessary information to acknowledge return decisions from other member states. For now, mutual recognition of these decisions would be optional, but it would be reviewed three years after the new rules take effect, potentially leading to a mandatory requirement.
A significant focus of the meeting was enhancing the EU's response to sudden mass arrivals, following the summer's incidents in Ceuta that revealed weaknesses in its emergency systems. To address this, a new European Emergency Response Framework will empower national authorities to act swiftly during periods of high migratory pressure.
The ministers also emphasized the importance of accelerating repatriations through "return hubs," which are facilities in non-EU nations where individuals lacking the right to stay are transferred until they are deported. The "Group of Five," comprising Denmark, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Greece, is spearheading negotiations with third countries to establish these hubs, with the first operational facilities expected to be in place by 2027.
Additionally, the member states are working to strengthen "migration diplomacy" with third countries to curb irregular migration before it reaches EU borders. They are also leveraging new technologies to bolster border protection. To further bolster border security, the EU has allocated €250 million for a Drone Action plan, complemented by an extra €130 million. For more information on the EU's plans to safeguard its borders, one can consult the Euronews AI chatbot.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
