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Elena Yoncheva on the EC's new migration policy: Front-line countries are the first winners

The Dublin Regulation is going down in history

Apr 11, 2024 13:19 124

Frontline countries will be the first to gain from the new migration policy.

This opinion was expressed by MEP Elena Yoncheva in an interview for BNR.

Finally, the current rules of the dysfunctional Dublin Regulation, which puts all the burden on frontline countries, will be replaced, she noted in relation to the newly adopted EU migration rules.

"This is not a perfect mechanism. It will be operational in 2 years. It will be difficult, but this is a good foundation that will help us to stop Europe from being a broken down yard."

Countries inside the EU are not exposed to the risk of front-line countries. They prefer that all illegal migrants stay in frontline countries – for them it is much more convenient in front of their own voters, but this is not fair and just, commented Yoncheva in the program "Before all", defining this controversial issue as "the big battle". According to her, under the new rules the responsibility will be distributed.

From a minimum of 30,000 people who will be accepted and distributed annually in the EU, if a country does not want to realize its "quota" from this number, it will pay to another country that would accept them, explained the MEP. According to Yoncheva, this does not mean that any country will pay Bulgaria, for example, "to keep these migrants with us".

There will now be a strengthened and clear mechanism for returning illegal migrants to so-called safe countries – a list of such countries where there are no military conflicts will be drawn up and these migrants will be sent back under an expedited procedure. In addition, "safe zones" - areas where migrants will be able to return, even though the country as a whole may be insecure, Elena Yoncheva pointed out.

There was resistance from both sides – the far left and the far right center, she specified regarding the newly adopted rules on asylum and migration.

The EU does not have any initiatives that would allow the start of a negotiation process, the MEP also stated on the subject of the war in Ukraine.

After the European elections on June 9, Yoncheva expects "a slight decrease in the composition of the two main political groups – EPP and PES and a possible increase in the spectrum of the more extreme left and right".

"I hope the so-called peace parties trying to find a political solution, to propose political initiatives to solve this conflict, their votes to be a majority in the European Parliament. This is very important because the EP is a very high tribune that can change the policy of Brussels."