Maria Malmer Steinergaard, Sweden’s Minister for Immigration, said that the number of arrivals in the bloc is increasing and that returning those whose asylum applications have been rejected to their countries of origin is very important.
On Thursday, European interior ministers proposed imposing restrictions on European visas granted to citizens of “non-cooperating” countries by returning migrants whose asylum applications were rejected.
The ministers described the situation around immigration as tense, with an increase in the number of arrivals, although critics say that the number of arrivals to the Union is much lower than it was during the 2015 crisis, and that it is possible to deal with it, especially since the continent is considered a rich region.
According to the European Commission, European countries issued about 340,000 decisions to return immigrants who did not meet the necessary conditions in 2021, and only 21 percent of them were deported.
Maria Malmer Steinergaard, Swedish Minister of Immigration, said that the number of arrivals to the European bloc is increasing and that returning those whose asylum applications have been rejected to their countries is a very important issue, describing the proportion of those who are deported as unacceptable.
Steinergaard explained that if political and diplomatic efforts (to improve cooperation with third countries) do not produce the expected results, member states will call on the Commission to impose restrictions on European visas. Steinergaard noted that there is strong support among EU member states for using visas as a tool to get countries to accept more of their citizens.
pilot project
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, emphasized the importance of intensifying returns and proposed a pilot project in the first half of this year aimed at speeding up screening procedures at the EU’s external borders and the immediate return of those who are not considered eligible for asylum.
Von der Leyen suggested that EU countries adopt a list of countries they consider “safe” and conclude agreements with countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria in order to speed up deportations.
Legal experts have expressed concern that rapid screening at EU borders may lack adequate and appropriate controls and may result in asylum seekers being denied international protection when they need it.
International law allows persons who have been rejected to appeal the decision to obtain international protection.
