Germany proposes creating a European rapid reaction force to deal with migration crises
AFP2 min read
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Germany has called for the formation of a rapid reaction force under the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to assist countries in the event of a sudden "pressure" of migration at the EU's external borders, similar to what occurred in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta this summer.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated during a press conference on Saturday in Munich that Europe must establish a "new support mechanism for countries facing such pressure at their external borders."
The conservative minister added, ahead of a meeting with 16 of his EU counterparts and European Commissioner Magnus Brunner to discuss migration files, "In other words, a rapid reaction force belonging to the Frontex agency, capable of providing the necessary support to countries located on the EU's external borders within 24 hours."
For his part, Brunner indicated that the European Commission will present "in the near future" an "enhanced" mandate for the "Frontex" agency to enable it to "act with greater speed and flexibility, before events turn into real crises."
Dobrindt emphasized that the German government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which has made tightening migration policy a priority to curb the rise of the far-right, is "convinced of the possibility of making greater use of the Frontex agency in migrant return procedures," particularly through the third countries they transit, as well as within the framework of the "Dublin Regulation" inside the European Union, which determines the state responsible for processing asylum applications.
Commissioner Brunner considered that the "Frontex" agency must play "a more important and intensive role in return operations."
Germany is currently working, in cooperation with Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, and Greece, to establish centers for returning migrants (deportation centers) in a country outside the European Union, with the aim of returning asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected.
Dobrindt remained committed to the goal announced by these five countries, which is to present preliminary agreements with countries outside the bloc "by the end of the year."
For its part, the International Rescue Committee denounced the return centers on Thursday, describing them as a "cruel and costly approach that strips people of their dignity and fundamental rights."
