EU leaders agree to strengthen external borders against migrants; Trust restored: Rutte

The EU countries agreed on better surveillance of the European Union’s external borders and other measures to reduce the arrival of asylum seekers and migrants. The distrust between countries of arrival like Italy and destination countries like the Netherlands has been removed in this “breakthrough,” said Prime Minister Mark Rutte. “That has not happened in twelve years and gives me the expectation that something has fundamentally changed.”

Due to the growing number of migrants, the EU countries feel the need to finally break their stalemate about sharing the burden of reception. After the EU summit, Rutte is hopeful it will work this time. “There is definitely momentum now. But we have to make sure we keep it together.”

The various camps found each other in strengthening the external borders. “Substantial European money will be allocated immediately for, for example, additional cameras, patrol cars, watchtowers, aerial surveillance, and modern surveillance technologies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said afterward.

Rutte mentioned an amount of 2.7 billion euros. However, none of that money will go toward constructing border fences or walls on the Turkish-Bulgarian border, for example, even though many EU countries were pushing for this. But that is not a problem, according to Rutte, because other member states can help. That thorny issue “has actually been solved quite practically.”

The 27 EU leaders have found a balance between the wishes of a country like the Netherlands and countries on the external European border, Rutte believes. The first camp urged countries like Italy and Greece to register migrants. But they fear that other member states will not take in any asylum seekers or migrants from them if they do and that they will have to deal with it by themselves.

The EU will therefore make agreements with countries in North Africa, for example, where many asylum seekers and migrants depart from for Europe, about combating people smugglers and taking back unwelcome migrants. If a member state decides that a migrant is not welcome, other EU countries will follow suit. The member states will also work on a joint list of countries they consider safe enough to return people to. There will be experiments with a rapid asylum procedure immediately at the external border.