Hotspots:
Europe Debates Initial Reception Centers for Refugees
By
Peter Müller in Brussels
Angela
Merkel is hoping that a proposal for more reception centers in areas
where refugees land at Europe's external borders will ease the influx
into Germany. Unfortunately, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Jean Asselborn
generally views the world through the sober lens of a diplomat. The
Luxembourg politician is one of Europe's longest-serving foreign
ministers and his country currently holds the six-month rotating
presidency of the European Union. A short while ago, however, during
a visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, Asselborn lost his composure.
Thousands of
migrants are setting off from Turkey to Lesbos each day, families
with children included. Yet despite the efforts made by the Greeks,
there is still a lack of pretty much everything: toilets, rest areas,
private sphere. "If I were the father of a family, would I have
confidence here that I was in good hands with the EU authorities?"
Asselborn wondered aloud.
Lesbos and other
such hotspots are a significant focus of efforts by the European
Commission and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to find a solution to
the refugee crisis. They would like to establish initial reception
centers where refugees will not only be registered, but also housed
until a cursory review is conducted to determine whether they might
qualify for asylum or protection under the Geneva Convention on
refugees.
Under the second
part of the plan, refugees from countries with an average EU-wide
asylum recognition rate of 75 percent would then be distributed among
the rest of the member states. The others would face deportation.
If the plan were to
go through, it would be a success, especially for Merkel because it
would slow the flow of refugees toward Germany. Unfortunately for
her, though, the plan isn't yet working. And those, lilke Asselborn,
who have seen the conditions on Lesbos first hand, are left with the
concern that refugees will not see these facilities as the start of a
new life in Europe. Rather, they will likely see the centers as a
dead-end.
"The hotspots
can only work if we have fair distribution of refugees within
Europe," says European Parliament President Martin Schulz of
Germany. An "EU that disintegrates into its component parts"
will not be able to handle the refugee crisis, he says.
A Lack of Unity
That becomes clear
at the hotspots. The primary problem is that there is currently no
unity in the EU regarding what tasks the centers should handle.
Leading European politicians don't share Merkel's idea -- chief among
them is Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his interior
minister, Angelino Alfano. The two feel that Italy has already done
its share in registering refugees, particularly on the island of
Lampedusa.
Renzi isn't even
considering the idea of caring for tens of thousands of refugees for
weeks on end until it is clear whether they can stay in Europe or
not, especially not without aid from the EU. "Italy is ready for
hotspots," he said back in September, "but Europe has to
redistribute the migrants."
During a recent
meeting of a small group of European officials, including French
Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Renzi bluntly stated that, if necessary,
he would simply send refugees north.
Renzi's
obstructionism has not gone unnoticed in Berlin, and it was no
coincidence that no representative of Italy was invited to a meeting
in Brussels on Oct. 25 of countries along the so-called West Balkan
route, the path that most refugees are now taking as they make their
way from Turkey to Germany. Renzi saw the lack of an invitation as an
affront. The official line in Berlin was that Italy is not located
along the route, but at the same time, sources said they wanted to
send the message that Italy hasn't done enough to help manage the
crisis.
It's questionable
whether things are going any better in Greece. The country is still
suffering considerable hardship and although the number of refugees
traveling across the Mediterranean to Italy has decreased
significantly, the influx coming into Greece on their way along the
Balkan route to Germany has not slowed. In order to handle the
crowds, four new hotspots are to be created on Greek islands located
close to the Turkish coast later this month. The country is currently
receiving aid from Germany, including 12 devices worth €200,000
used to collect refugees' fingerprints during registration. In
addition, Germany's federal police have deployed around 300 officials
this year as part of the European border agency Frontex.
'A Community Task'
But in order to
support countries like Greece in the construction and operation of
accommodations that can handle up to 50,000 refugees, European
Parliament President Schulz is calling for EU aid. "Those who
are securing the EU's external borders are taking over a community
task. That's why it is only logical that they receive financial and
staffing assistance from the EU."
But it's right at
these hotspots where the first problems start to develop. Often, the
refugees put greater faith in the dubious tips provided to them by
the human-traffickers than in the information they are provided by EU
staff. And, unfortunately, the smugglers have been spreading fears
that the migrants will simply be deported once they arrive in the
centers. This is keeping many from submitting asylum applications
there.
The biggest problem,
however, is the lack of a clear answer to the question as to what
happens to refugees who have little chance of remaining in Europe.
How will these people be prevented from heading towards Germany on
their own?
"It's a
delicate issue," says one high-ranking EU official. "After
all, the Greek government doesn't want to be accused of putting
migrants in internment camps."
Indeed, refugees
attempting to escape from fenced-in camps is the one image that has
yet to plague this European refugee crisis.
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