Asylum reform adopted

Uniform border procedures in the EU agreed

Migrants on Lampedusa(Bild: AFP)

The EU Parliament approved a reform of the EU asylum system on Wednesday. The plans include uniform procedures at the EU's external borders and tougher treatment of people from countries that are considered relatively safe (see video with EU Vice-President Othmar Karas above).

Until a decision is made on their application, people may be housed in detention-like conditions in reception camps. Rejected asylum seekers should be able to be deported to safe third countries more easily in future.

A new "solidarity mechanism" is also planned: Countries that no longer wish to accept migrants must provide compensatory support, for example in the form of money. If a particularly large number of migrants arrive in an EU country, the "crisis regulation" is to take effect, allowing people to be detained for longer.

Miranten and migrant on Lampedusa(Bild: AFP)

Austria's Greens and FPÖ against
The aim of the new regulations is to curb irregular migration. Of Austria's MEPs, the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS voted in favor of the entire package. "The situation in recent years is unacceptable: years-long procedures, shanty camps at the external borders and overburdened communities that are left alone with the problem. Once implemented, a common European asylum system will particularly benefit countries such as Austria, which have so far fulfilled their obligations in comparison to other EU states," said SPÖ EU delegation leader Andreas Schieder in a press release. Among other things, his party could have negotiated the increased monitoring of fundamental and human rights into the package.

Once implemented, a common European asylum system will particularly benefit countries such as Austria, which have so far fulfilled their obligations in comparison to other EU states.

EU-Abgeordneter Andreas Schieder

The Greens and FPÖ MEPs voted against the package, as expected for different reasons. "The EU migration pact will change exactly nothing in terms of mass immigration into the EU", said FPÖ delegation leader Harald Vilimsky. Green delegation leader Monika Vana, on the other hand, spoke of a "disregard for human rights" and called for "safe and legal escape and migration routes into the EU at last."

Demonstration during the vote
The vote in the EU Parliament had to be interrupted once as demonstrators in the chamber protested loudly against the planned changes. According to the latest Eurostat data, more and more asylum applications are being made in Europe. In 2023, a fifth more people applied for asylum in the European Union than in 2022. Austria had the second-highest number in relation to its population.

The EU states still have to approve the reform.