The European Union is changing course on migrants. But the new document is a failure

Everything can be said, except that in Europe they are in no hurry to produce gods action plans. When a problem becomes politically relevant, documents presented as solutions appear regularly in Brussels. Imaginative plans of 10, 15 or 20 points to show the audience the speed of actionEuropean Union.

The problem, however, is that, just as on schedule, the various plans presented over the years have been ignored or even not approved. On theimmigration This often happens: when migratory flows become unmanageable and the most vulnerable countries seek help, plans and documents are withdrawn from UNHCR offices, also often defined as “historic”.

Like when, for example, plan to redistribution Of immigrants, they are all systematically ignored. Or similar, under management Ursula von der LeyenCommission submitted New immigration plan in the wake of the first lockdowns of 2020. Now in Brussels they are trying again: Yesterday, right after the meeting of EU interior ministers in Stockholm, Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a new plan of action. This time there are 15 points listed, with special emphasis on Repatriation And points of attraction to be built in the Balkans.

Ursula von der Leyen’s new plan

Yesterday in Stockholm, the countries of Central and Northern Europe had a big voice. Interior ministers Netherlands And Sweden, in particular, explicitly asked Brussels to move from words to deeds. Amsterdam signed up to Austria’s invitation to fund the walls between Turkey and Bulgaria, and the Swedish hosts stressed the importance of reaching an agreement on repatriation.

With the post back, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded with a new plan. This too, like at least the last two or three from 2020 to today, was presented as a solution.

“The issue is at the top of the list of issues on which citizens expect a strong response from the EU – von der Leyen wrote in his remarks issued in the last few hours – and for this very reason it is targeted by those who want to destabilize. European project“. Speed So is our motto, and with great interest they at Brussels compiled, printed, and then sent the new plan to the various governments.

The document includes 15 points spread over four large macro areas, as Ursula von der Leyen promises, “It is possible to make an immediate differenceIn fact, the plan provides for promotion the borderacceleration Repatriationthe symbiosis Among the EU countries and finally improve Administration of repatriations.

In fact, they are not new topics and certainly not unedited topics. Solidarity, repatriation and borders have been talked about for some time. They are all points already included in other schemes, which then remained in the drawers of the Authority’s offices. It is not farfetched to think that Brussels has reopened those drawers and rearranged old plans, driven by the political pressures of recent days. Thus, access to a document that is defined as crucial, however, upon closer examination, again appears as just a list of good intentions.

The new agreement on migration will not arrive until 2024

Von der Leyen hopes to get the first go-ahead for the new document as early as February, on the occasion of the European Council at which all leaders of the 27 member states will gather. However, should the green disk arrive, it wouldn’t be a dissolution plan. As defined by the chairwoman herself, the 15-point document is nothing more than a “plan of action”. The final and long-awaited new agreement on immigration is not to overcome the status quo.

Therefore, palliative care awaits the most important. However, as the Swedish ambassador in Brussels has announced in recent days, it will not arrive before 2024.