European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, Sept 8, 2020. (ARIS OIKONOMOU / POOL PHOTO VIA AP)
The European Union has called on its 27 members to support a German-led proposal to deal with the flood of migrants entering the bloc in a plan that could be in place by next summer.
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive branch－the European Commission－described the proposal as a "European solution ... to restore citizens' confidence".
Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, said a compulsory system for all EU nations was the best way to manage migration
Von der Leyen said a compulsory system for all EU nations was the best way to manage migration.
The proposal, which will be debated later this year, calls for member states to either house asylum-seekers and migrants or handle the sending back of those refused sanctuary.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the plan would ensure a "fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity between member states while providing certainty for individual applicants".
The plan follows four years of mass unplanned migration into the EU that started with 1.8 million "irregular arrivals" in 2015. Some nations, including Greece, Italy, and Spain, have housed vast new populations while others, especially those in Central and Eastern Europe, have refused to help.
The proposal includes compulsory pre-entry screening, to establish the health, identity, and security risk of applicants. And it promises a faster processing of applications for asylum, with decisions made within 12 weeks and those who fail being sent home soon after.
The plan also calls for nations to be paid 10,000 euros (US$11,700) for each refugee or asylum-seeker accepted who was rescued from the Mediterranean Sea.
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Huge cost
EU member states would contribute toward the huge cost of looking after migrants, proportionally to their GDP.
The BBC quoted Ylva Johansson, the EU's home affairs commissioner, as saying the proposal is a compromise that attempts to cover nations that want to help more people and those that don't want to accept migrants. She acknowledged it is unlikely to please all member countries.
But, she said: "I think we would have 27 member states and Parliament that would say it's worth working on this."
The proposals have, however, failed to impress charities. Save the Children described them as an example of the EU failing to learn "from its recent mistakes". While Amnesty International said they are "designed to heighten walls and strengthen fences".
