The member state can buy the number of asylum seekers to be accepted
Asylum seekers who are normally recognized as refugees are allowed to enter Europe. They end up in the regular asylum procedure in one of the countries of arrival.
After that, there will be no mandatory distribution across Europe. Although countries must take in a certain number of asylum seekers each year, they can buy their share. It comes to the amount of 20,000 euros per person.
If a country receives more asylum seekers than it should according to the distribution key, other member states must provide assistance. They can then take charge of the asylum seekers voluntarily, but they can also give money or things.
European justice ministers met in Luxembourg on Thursday. The negotiations did not go smoothly.
For example, it was difficult for them to agree on which countries were considered safe. Member states want to return to these countries migrants who have little chance of asylum in Europe. In the end, the states managed to come to a compromise here.
Penetration does not mean agreement
Now that the member states have reached an agreement, it does not mean that their plans will be implemented immediately. In the European Union, new legislation (drafted by the European Commission) must be approved by member states and the European Parliament.
The European Parliament adopted a position on legislative proposals in April. Now that EU governments have also agreed, negotiations can begin between member states and parliament. Only at the end of this process will it be clear what the final plans will look like.
In Brussels they would like to reach a final agreement on the European elections in June next year.
The Cabinet is happy with the “first brick”
The plans will therefore only have an impact on the number of asylum seekers coming to the Netherlands in the long term. “This is a building block,” Van der Burgh said. He believes the plans will reduce the number of asylum seekers.
However, the development is a boost for Prime Minister Mark Root. The VVD faction and its party members have promised to take action. In any case, the hack can be added to the list of successes.
The Prime Minister heads to Tunis this weekend. Together with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU leader Ursula von der Leyen, he wants to strike an immigration deal with the North African country. From Tunisia, many migrants risk the dangerous crossing to Europe.
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