Candidates For Committee President: Comparison As Well As Assessing Their Immigration Policy Proposals
November 28, 2018
Edit
Football fans direct maintain long enjoyed playing the game of Fantasy Football, inward which they imagine what mightiness tumble out if a exceptional grouping of players genuinely formed a team. Equally, for the fourth dimension being, aficionados of European Union politics tin play Fantasy Commission President, inward which they imagine what mightiness tumble out if whatsoever of the exceptional candidates for Commission President nominated past times the European political political party groupings got the job.
Of course, equally discussed earlier on this blog, it remains to hold out seen whether, afterwards the elections complete on May 25th, the European Council would hold out willing to nominate the candidate of the political political party which gets the most seats for President, in addition to what the European Parliament (which has the ability to ‘elect’ the President, based on the European Council’s nomination) would do if it doesn’t. For the fourth dimension being, though, this sweat at a novel physical care for for selecting the Commission President has resulted inward the candidates announcing unopen to of their policies, which allows us to compare those policies.
To that end, this post service commencement summarises the candidates’ positions on immigration policy, in addition to and then compares in addition to assesses those policies. It should hold out recalled that unopen to European parties direct maintain non named a candidate for Commission President (the ECR grouping including the British Conservatives, in addition to the EFD grouping including UKIP), so thence for those parties at that spot are no candidate’s policies to assess here.
Martin Schultz
Yesterday, Martin Schultz, the candidate of the Party of European Socialists, announced his immigration policy. The original points of the policy are: saving the lives of migrants; developing a mutual policy; positive migration management; applying the regulation of loyalty in addition to solidarity; developing a rule-based system; in addition to setting out a long-term vision.
In particular, he believes that countries similar Malta, equally good equally unopen to tertiary countries, deport a disproportionate part of the burden equally regards migration towards the European Union, in addition to so ‘a European response is needed’. This involves: coordinating national actions; communication amongst North African partners nigh surveillance; exempting ship-masters from prosecution; honor for cardinal rights in addition to non-refoulement; in addition to a potent Commission spot equally regards evaluation in addition to weaknesses at external borders.
As regards asylum, recognition rates differ widely, in addition to the Dublin organization for resources allotment of asylum-seekers is confusing courts. To address this, he wants to growth resettlement (ie bringing refugees direct from states nigh their province of origin), choose the ‘relocation’ of the persons involved inside the European Union ‘to the side past times side level’, examine the articulation processing of applications, growth the integration of refugees in addition to meliorate the capacity of the European Asylum Support Office, to ‘monitor the character in addition to consistency of asylum decisions’. He volition also proceed the thought of temporary protection, a special organization to bargain amongst a bulk influx of persons fleeing persecution, on the table. The European Union should develop relationships amongst tertiary countries focussed upon encouraging reforms, so equally to cut back the want to migrate inward the commencement place.
As for migration, he wants a well-organised system, mentioning inward exceptional the importance of skills, migrant integration, in addition to attracting academy students in addition to researchers. He also wants to utilisation visa policy to encourage tourism.
Jean-Claude Juncker
The candidate nominated past times the European People’s Party has laid out a five-pointplan on migration. First, he wants to implement the Common European Asylum System legislation without delay, inward fellowship to cut back the broad gap inward recognition rates betwixt Member States. Second, he wants to growth the powers of the European Asylum Support Office, equally regards gamble assessments in addition to tailored preparation for national administrations. Third, he wants the European Union to assist address the root causes of migration, inward the countries of origin. Fourth, to cut back irregular migration in addition to address demographic problems, he wants to address legal migration, inward exceptional past times re-examining the ‘Blue Card’ rules on highly-skilled migration. Finally, he wants to secure the EU’s borders, past times boosting Frontex (the EU’s border agency) in addition to applying European Union rules on punishing traffickers of persons.
Alexis Tsipras
The candidate of the European Left political party laid out unopen to immigration policy positions inward his declaration of acceptance of his candidacy. He also wants to back upward countries of origin, to rescue migrants on the opened upward sea, to create reception centres, in addition to to rethink the European Union framework, inward exceptional changing the Dublin rules on resources allotment of responsibleness for asylum-seekers.
Ska Keller in addition to Jose Bove
There is no immigration policy spot newspaper equally such for the Green Party candidates for Commission President (or at least, none that tin easily hold out establish on the Internet). However, an indication of their policy tin hold out establish inward Ska Keller’s YouTube video. She also criticises the EU’s Dublin organization because of its deport on on human rights in addition to burden-sharing for little countries, in addition to calls for fairer asylum procedures, the number of humanitarian visas to would-be refugees in addition to legal access for economical migrants.
Guy Verhofstadt
Finally, the Liberal political party candidate only briefly mentions migration policy inward his Plan for Europe (note: this is a hard document to download, in addition to it mostly consists of diagrams). The unmarried paragraph on this number mentions the importance of burden-sharing in addition to managing legal migration.
Comparing the policies
Interestingly, the Socialist in addition to EPP positions direct maintain much inward common. Both back upward cooperation amongst countries of origin, suggest a innovation for legal migration, in addition to wishing to cut back the gaps inward refugee recognition rates past times strengthening the European Asylum Support Office. But at that spot are nuances betwixt them: Juncker wants the business office to hold out to a greater extent than involved inward gamble assessments in addition to tailored training, spell Schultz wants it to monitor Member States’ implementation of European Union law. However, Juncker does refer to the importance of implementation of European Union asylum police line generally. Schultz has farther policies relating to sharing asylum burdens, equally regards resettlement, relocation, temporary protection in addition to articulation processing. It mightiness hold out deduced that neither candidate is calling for amending the Dublin rules on resources allotment of responsibleness for asylum-seekers.
As for legal migration, Juncker is to a greater extent than specific, calling for review of the specific rules on admission of highly-skilled workers, spell Schultz sets out a longer listing of objectives but without offering equally much detail.
Juncker lays greater stress on controlling external borders, inward exceptional equally regards strengthening Frontex in addition to prosecuting traffickers, spell Schultz stresses exempting send captains from prosecution, Commission supervision in addition to honor for cardinal rights.
The Green in addition to European Left candidates’ positions direct maintain inward mutual a demand for an overhaul of the EU’s Dublin system. For its part, the Green candidate specifically mentions the number of humanitarian visas equally a possible solution to the work of security access to the European Union, in addition to (like Martin Schultz) suggests that at that spot should hold out to a greater extent than avenues for legal migration, without setting out farther details.
Unfortunately, the Verhofstadt policy on immigration is likewise brief to compare it meaningfully amongst the others, or to assess it.
Assessing the policies
There is a clear split betwixt the 2 bigger parties’ candidates’ implicit positions on the Dublin organization of allocating asylum-seekers, in addition to the explicit assail on that organization past times the Green in addition to Left candidates. While at that spot is certainly much to hold out said for scrapping the Dublin organization exclusively or profoundly reforming it, this solution is in all likelihood non politically realistic equally at that spot is a important bulk of Member States against it, in addition to at that spot would in all likelihood non hold out a bulk inward favour inward the European Parliament either.
So if nosotros are stuck amongst the Dublin system, what tin hold out done to alleviate the problems arising from its operation? As betwixt the 2 large parties’ candidates, Juncker’s specific suggestions for a bigger role for the European Asylum Support Office would non do much to alleviate those problems. However, his greater focus on ensuring timely in addition to right implementation of the second-phase Common European Asylum System mightiness good direct maintain that final result – if, past times that, he agency a novel Commission policy devoted to bringing infringement actions to a greater extent than aggressively against Member States.
Schultz’s policies would alleviate the problems amongst the organization via the indirect road of greater relocation, articulation processing in addition to resettlement. However, he does non offering many details of such policies, in addition to notably he is only promising to ‘test’ articulation processing. As regards relocation of refugees betwixt Member States, it is necessary to direct maintain a legal framework for transfer of protection, but he does non refer this expressly. But on the whole, if these policies are pursued vigorously, they mightiness alleviate the final result of the organization somewhat.
So would the proposition to brand greater utilisation of the number of humanitarian visas, equally suggested past times Ska Keller. She is right to say that this is an existing possibility; inward fact, this possibility was discussed previously on this blog.
Of course, the diverse suggestions to alleviate the final result of the Dublin organization could hold out combined amongst each other. If so, the total deport on would for sure hold out greater than if only i of the candidates’ suggestions were adopted.
The bigger parties’ candidates’ willingness to engage amongst tertiary countries is fine if it concerns solely issues such equally improvements inward their economic scheme in addition to levels of human rights protection. It would hold out to a greater extent than problematic if it involved tertiary States equally remote controllers of European Union borders, equally long equally many of USA inward enquiry direct maintain questionable human rights records.
As for legal migration, at that spot are already proposals nether give-and-take to amend the European Union rules on admission of students in addition to researchers, in addition to to amend European Union visa policy to encourage to a greater extent than tourists. So inward that honor Schultz is but supporting legislation that has already been proposed. Juncker’s thought of reforming European Union rules to acknowledge to a greater extent than highly-skilled migrants makes sense, but that is probable to direct maintain only a little deport on inward reducing the numbers who mightiness hold out inclined to come upward to the European Union past times irregular (‘illegal’) means.
Finally, equally regards irregular migration, it is hitting that Juncker lays to a greater extent than stress on increasing control, Schultz lays to a greater extent than stress on Commission evaluation in addition to the other 2 candidates lay to a greater extent than stress on saving lives. While Schultz also mentions the importance of human rights inward this context, he does non link that amongst the Commission’s evaluation role. On this point, spell at that spot are many proficient examples of Member States saving hundreds of lives at sea, at that spot are also unopen to bad examples of push-backs or other appalling handling of migrants at borders. The Commission’s failure to respond to the latter cases has probable given Member States the thought that they tin deed amongst impunity.
Conclusions
This is the commencement fourth dimension that the policy platforms of private candidates for Commission President could hold out compared in addition to assessed before citizens cast a vote for the European Parliament. In 2009, Barroso only produced a policy platform afterwards he was nominated for the chore past times the European Council – in addition to fifty-fifty that was a evolution compared to previous practice. The possibility to compass such an analysis, in addition to for the candidates to debate, crusade on in addition to response populace questions regarding immigration (and other) policies, shows the capacity of this novel organization of advance nominations to meliorate the democratic functioning of the European Union.
It is, of course, doubtful whether much of this fence has resonated amongst the full general public. And equally noted at the outset, it remains to hold out seen whether the European Council volition direct maintain the final result of the physical care for at the terminate of the day. But fifty-fifty if it does non (and the European Parliament accedes to a ‘backroom deal’ on appointment of the Commission President), the physical care for of developing in addition to debating policy mightiness withal hold out relevant when it comes to the Parliament obtaining policy commitments from the side past times side Commission in addition to the side past times side Home Affairs Commissioner on these of import issues.
Barnard & Peers: chapter 3, chapter 26
