Migrant crisis: EU plans penalties for refusing asylum seekers

The European Commission proposed a change in EU asylum rules, such as sanctions of €250,000 per person to countries refusing to take their share of asylum seekers. This needs support from most member states as well as MEP's. However, EU officials hope that twinned with a deal Turkey(that reduced migrant numbers) the tensions over migrations can be reduced.

The basic Dublin regulation will require refugees to claim asylum in the member state where they arrive, what will stop "asylum shopping" where refugees make multiple asylum claims. An other change are the plans to help economically countries that receive much asylum claims.

UK and Ireland can opt out of asylum policies, and the British government has indicated that it won't take part. Denmark is also exempt.

Under this new proposal, if a country receives more than 150% os its annual "fair share" os asylum seekers, the relocation would activate according to a country's population and economy. Countries that don't accept the punishment would be fined, and the money will go to states such as Italy and Greece.

There're different opinions about this proposal:
-Poland: the foreign minister says it was "a serious proposal"
-Slovakia: the interior minister complained it as failed to respect reality.
-Hungary: they called it at "blackmail" and "unacceptable"
-The Czech Republic: that it was a unpleaseant suprise as it returned to a concept of mandatory quotas that had been rejected.

The 4 countries were outvoted when the plan was agreed:
Poland had agreed some 7,000 asylum seekers and the fine would be of €1.75bn
Hungary's government announced plans for a referendum on the plan.

Germany suspended the Dublin rule in August, then it said it would take in all Syrian refugees and promped an influx of 50,000 migrants into EU via Greece.

The Commission proposed that a European Union Agency for Asylum should oversee the countries, and that there will be stronger guarantees for children without parents seeking asylum as well a change in the way family members are viewed.

NEW WORDS:
-MEP's
-twinned
-blackmail

PERSONAL OPINION:
I find it a very fair plan, because refugees should need at first only asylum indifferently from where. So, I think The Commission will stop the refugees that are not thankful and ungrateful that will take advantages from European helps. However, this mustn't say that refugees are not welcome.

Item news from BBC