Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Exploring Outsourcing Asylum Procedures: German Chancellor’s Perspective
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed on Saturday that asylum processes could be executed in countries outside the EU as a strategy to decrease irregular migration into Europe. The proposition surfaces amid ongoing debates on European migration policy.
Chancellor Merz’s Visit to Italy
Merz expressed these views during his initial official visit to Italy as chancellor. He referenced Italy’s endeavor to implement this by transferring asylum seekers to Albania—an action temporarily halted by Italian courts.
“However, this could still stand as an option, of course,” he stated following his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Italy’s Approach to Managing Asylum Seekers
The governing coalition in Rome, comprising three right-leaning and conservative parties, initiated the plan to assess asylum requests for migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean region within Albania. After consistent obstruction by the Italian legal system, the concept is now under examination by the European Court of Justice to ascertain its compliance with European legislation.
To date, the framework has not been successfully put into practice, and the specifically designed facilities in Albania, a non-EU nation, have largely remained unoccupied for several months.
Germany’s Stance on External Asylum Processing
Merz said: “We will no longer stand on the brakes.” Merz indicated that Germany is willing to deliberate outsourcing asylum procedures, irrespective of Italy’s experiences. He conceded that this is “certainly not a comprehensive solution,” but suggested it may “help to alleviate the problem.”
The chancellor also underscored the urgency of implementing European asylum reform swiftly and enhancing collaboration within the European Union to tackle irregular migration.
“We will no longer hinder efforts to resolve issues within the European Union,” he affirmed.