Migration crisis could break EU
Stark warning from embattled Merkel as leaders meet to thrash out solution
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that the migration challenge could ‘ break’ the European Union.
In a hard- hitting speech to the Bundestag, Mrs Merkel said the bloc’s future was in jeopardy unless an overhaul of migration rules was agreed.
Mrs Merkel, who is fighting for her political career, added: ‘Europe has many challenges but that of migration could become the make-or-break one for the EU.’
She made the plea before travelling to a crunch summit in Brussels, which was dominated by questions over immigration. At the summit, European leaders yesterday rolled out a hard-line immigration strategy involving mass migrant centres in Africa in a bid to keep Mrs Merkel in power.
Donald Tusk insisted that a radically aggressive approach was needed to keep far-Right leaders from rising to power should another migration wave take place. Diplomats have dubbed the occasion the ‘rescue Merkel’ summit, as the veteran German leader promised her rebelling Bavarian sister party that she would use it to find an EU solution. The row has been stoked by Italy’s new anti-immigration government, which has started turning away rescue migrant boats and vowed to deport tens of thousands of asylum seekers.
In a sign of the heightened tensions, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte yesterday threatened to veto any EU agreement unless it met Rome’s demands. ‘Italy does not need more words, but concrete facts,’ he said, telling other leaders that they faced a ‘watershed’ moment. Italy is at the centre of the crisis having seen around 650,000 migrants arriving three over the last four years.
Authoritarian Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán said: ‘The invasion should be stopped and to stop the invasion means to have a strong border.’ Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that ‘being rescued in the Mediterranean must not automatically become a ticket to central Europe’. Mrs Merkel is facing intense pressure from her Christian Social Union coalition partners, who have called for borders to be closed to asylum seekers. The collapse of Germany’s ruling coalition was only averted after she promised Hors Seehofer, CSU leader and interior minister, that she would reach a deal in Brussels. The disagreement follows growing discontent over her handling of the 2015 migration crisis, which saw the arrival of more than a million refugees to Germany.
Spain, Greece, Finland and Luxembourg all expressed support for Mrs Merkel’s plan to speed up the return of asylum seekers who have arrived elsewhere before travelling to Germany.
The EU’s plan to break the deadlock hinges on the creation of socalled ‘disembarkation’ platforms outside Europe.
Migrants rescued at sea would be returned to the areas where they would then have their asylum application processed, with genuine refugees potentially offered protection in the EU.
North African countries such as Tunisia and Libya, which serves as the biggest departure point for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, have been earmarked as possible locations.
European Council President Donald Tusk said hard-liners were poised to capitalise on divisions unless the bloc moved to further shut off its external borders.
‘Some may think I am too tough in my proposals on migration,’ he said. ‘But trust me, if we don’t agree on them, then you will see some really tough proposals from some really tough guys.’
Diplomats yesterday suggested that the projects would cost several billion pounds to develop. One said the plan was ‘ better value’ than a break-down of the EU’s Schengen travel zone which could happen if individual countries insist on putting up border controls.
The broad-brushed proposals are already mired in controversy with EU countries arguing over what the centres would look like.
Hard-line member states with anti-immigration governments believe the areas should be ‘camps’, but senior EU officials rejected this idea.
The EU summit descended into chaos last night after Italy threatened to block the pre-agreed conclusions, due to be signed off by leaders at the end of the meeting.
Diplomats said that Mr Conte, a political novice, was trying to ‘hold a knife to the throat’.
‘Tough proposals from tough guys’