EU to conclude migration trilogue
The European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council are set to conclude a trialogue on a unified migration strategy.
Migration is an issue that continues to embroil Europe. In November, Italy finalized a deal for its migrants to be processed in neighboring Albania; Germany is considering a plan whereby migrants are sent to Rwanda for application planning, and France’s government recently suffered a major defeat regarding its new immigration bill for being viewed as too lax by the political right.
The European Commission is hailing the Migration and Asylum Pact as a historic agreement. A cornerstone of it is the “safe third country” principle; countries that offer fair and regular treatment of migrants and the right to remain there can be classified as ‘safe’, regardless of their respect for human rights. Critics of the bill argue that it does not address migration effectively, but merely pushes migrants out of EU territory. Proponents will likely be happy to see arrival numbers drop.
Whilst the pact is likely to be approved, by failing to address the root causes of the issue, it is unlikely to affect meaningful change. Further efforts from the EU will be required in the longer term.
