According to the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration, at the last meeting of the Council of Home Affairs under the Danish Presidency of the European Union on Monday in Brussels, EU countries agreed to remove the legal restrictions that had prevented agreements with third countries on processing asylum applications outside Europe.
On Monday morning, EU countries reached an agreement on key issues that have long been a priority for Denmark in tightening immigration and asylum policies.
فقد اتفقت الدول الأعضاء على تخفيف القواعد بحيث يصبح من الممكن للاتحاد الأوروبي ككل، أو لمجموعة من دوله، نقل طالبي اللجوء الذين يصلون بشكل غير نظامي إلى الاتحاد إلى مراكز استقبال في “دولٍ ثالثة آمنة” خارج أوروبا لمعالجة طلباتهم هناك.
Minister for Immigration and Integration Rasmus Stoklund stated:
“لقد عملت الحكومة السابقة والحالية لسنوات طويلة وبجهد كبير لإقناع الدول الأوروبية الأخرى بالأفكار الدنماركية. وبمرور الوقت ازداد الدعم تدريجيًا. وقد قدمت المفوضية الأوروبية في مايو من هذا العام اقتراحًا بتعديل القواعد، واليوم توصلت دول الاتحاد إلى اتفاق على تخفيفها. إنه نصر كبير أن نتفق كدول أوروبية على تعديل القواعد بحيث يصبح من الممكن عمليًا نقل طالبي اللجوء إلى دولٍ ثالثة آمنة لمعالجة طلباتهم. فذلك سيسهم في وقف التدفق غير النظامي نحو أوروبا، الذي له عواقب إنسانية هائلة ويزعزع استقرار المجتمعات الأوروبية. إنها خطوة مهمة في الاتجاه الصحيح، وأتطلع إلى مواصلة العمل في هذا المسار”، بحسب وزارة الأجانب والاندماج (وزارة الهجرة) الدنماركية.
The following is an overview of the two agreements reached today, both of which will have to be negotiated later with the European Parliament:
EU asylum rules on transfer to safe third countries
تسمح القواعد الحالية في الاتحاد الأوروبي للدول الأعضاء برفض معالجة طلب لجوء إذا كان يمكن إحالة مقدم الطلب إلى “دولة ثالثة آمنة” يستطيع فيها التقدّم بطلب لجوء.
لكن القواعد القائمة تفرض متطلبات صارمة تجعل تطبيقها صعبًا عمليًا، منها وجوب وجود “صلة معقولة” بين طالب اللجوء وتلك الدولة الثالثة.
Denmark is not subject to these rules because of its reluctance to participate in EU policies relating to immigration and asylum, an exception it has maintained since joining the European Union.
But this reservation limits the ability of the rest of the EU to cooperate with third countries on transferring asylum seekers to process their applications outside Europe.
A unified European list of safe countries of origin
The European Union member states decided today in Brussels to adopt a common European list of safe countries of origin.
This list aims to speed up the processing of asylum applications and the return of asylum seekers who come from countries considered safe, i.e., those who do not usually need protection in the European Union but actually come as economic migrants.
كما ستساعد القائمة المشتركة على تقليل الهجرة الثانوية داخل الاتحاد الأوروبي، والحدّ من ظاهرة “تسوّق اللجوء” التي يقوم بها بعض طالبي اللجوء باختيار الدول التي لا تصنّف بلدانهم كدول آمنة.
The list of countries considered safe (i.e., from which refugees should not be received) includes countries that are candidates for joining the European Union, in addition to Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
More than 43,000 asylum seekers from Bangladesh applied for asylum in the European Union last year, representing about 4% of all asylum applications submitted in 2024.
Around 25,000 asylum seekers from both Colombia and Egypt also applied for asylum during the same year.
A major political victory for Denmark
Denmark is leading the tightening of immigration policies in Europe through the proposal of external asylum centers. The statement issued by the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration before the crucial meeting of the Council of Internal Affairs on December 8 was not just an official announcement, but rather a precise definition of the direction of future European policy.
فمن خلال تصريحات الوزير الدنماركي راسموس ستوكلوند، يظهر بوضوح أن النهج الدنماركي يقوم على اعتبار “الردع والسيطرة” بأنه “عدالة” في نظام اللجوء.
This trend reflects a deeper shift in the overall European position on the issue of immigration, from an approach based on receiving asylum seekers within the Union to an approach aimed at managing applications and controlling borders from the outside.
Denmark used its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union to lead this shift.
Denmark has used its rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union to lead this shift, putting on the table proposals that were previously controversial, such as reception centers outside Europe, stricter return rules, and an expanded list of “safe countries.”.
Protecting the cohesion and stability of European societies
The aim of this dual approach is to reduce irregular migration and deter economic migrants who use the asylum system as an alternative route to enter the European Union. According to Danish political discourse, these policies are not only intended to alleviate pressure on European migration systems, but also to protect the cohesion and stability of European societies.
Denmark is not originally part of the EU's migration and asylum agreements.
Opening the door to asylum centers in third countries represents a major political breakthrough for Denmark, one it has long sought, despite legal reservations and resistance within the EU. The Brussels meeting can thus be considered a diplomatic victory for Denmark and a new phase in its leadership and persistent efforts to strengthen European migration policy. This is all the more significant given that Denmark is not a party to the EU's migration and asylum agreements, as it stipulated, upon joining the EU, that it retain certain exceptions. Consequently, it has not joined four EU agreements, one of which is migration and asylum.
-
-
-
-
