European leaders will discuss new approaches to migration when they meet later this week, including the controversial prospect of setting up hubs outside the EU to process asylum claims.
The idea has been talked about in a growing number of European nations as a solution to the complex question of immigration. It would involve establishing bases in so-called third countries to house people who are trying to claim asylum in Europe until their applications have been decided.
Italy is presently funding the building of this sort of centre in Albania to process some of the migrants trying to get into its territory. Only those whose claims are accepted will be allowed to travel to Italy.
To that end, they are fundamentally different from the Rwanda scheme promoted by the last British government, which would have seen asylum seekers settled in Africa, rather than Britain, even if their claims were successful.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has now confirmed that she has asked one of her most senior deputies, Ylva Johansson, the commissioner for internal affairs and migration, to “counter illegal migration”, going on to say that “we should also continue to explore possible ways forward as regards the idea of developing return hubs outside the EU”.
Ms von der Leyen also said the EU could “draw lessons” from Italy’s agreement with Albania, once it had been put into practise.
EU leaders will meet later this week in Brussels, with migration on their official agenda. Among other things, they will discuss strengthening the external border and accelerating the pace of returns.
At the start of last year, the leaders agreed there should be a tougher approach to reduce the number of people coming through the EU borders without permission.
For a number of right-wing leaders, including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, the subject is of totemic importance, along with leaders in countries as varied as Finland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Croatia.
Now the leaders of both France and Germany, the EU’s most important countries, have found themselves under pressure from the growing support of right-wing, anti-immigration parties among their domestic voters. In response, Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Sholz have thrown their weight behind the call for greater action.
Sky News understands one of their suggestions will be harsher countermeasures against countries that don’t agree to take back failed asylum seekers. These reprisals would be likely to include tighter visa controls and even trade restrictions.
However, there are chronic legal problems in returning people to countries that are not deemed safe, such as Syria and Afghanistan. Of all the people who are issued with deportation orders in the EU, it is estimated that only around 30% are actually deported.
To further complicate the landscape of migration, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is planning to suspend the right of people to claim asylum if they have entered his country from Belarus.
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Although a blanket ban does appear to breach international law, a fear already reiterated by the European Commission, Mr Tusk is holding strong. He will tell leaders that he has no choice but to do so because Russia and Belarus have weaponised migration against his country.
For Ms von der Leyen, the rising tide of political angst about migration is not a huge surprise.
Two years ago, she appointed Mari Juritsch, a Finn with a long career in border control, to the new role of return coordinator for the EU, and Ms Juritsch is understood to be playing a central role in analysing the possible role, and legality, of these hubs.