MKI Perspective – Written by Ágnes Vass & Csaba Stefán
The main topic of the Serbian-Slovak-Hungarian summit on migration was how to prevent illegal immigration. This follows a letter sent by 17 member states to the President of the European Commission ahead of the last European Council summit, urging the acceleration of deportations for individuals without refugee or resettlement status. The European Council has called on the Commission to urgently present a new proposal for regulation aimed at expediting and increasing the removal of rejected asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Poland has indicated that it will not implement the migration pact. In addition to Meloni, several member states advocate for the creation of migration centers outside the EU, following the Italian example, where asylum applications would be processed. However, many countries oppose this idea. At the same time, more and more member states are echoing what the Hungarian government argued in 2015/2016—that the EU’s external borders should be strengthened and that asylum applications should be handled outside the EU. Reducing illegal immigration is also a key priority for the Hungarian EU Presidency. Simultaneously, one of the EU’s greatest achievements, the Schengen system, is showing signs of disintegration, as the influx of illegal immigrants puts pressure on member states, prompting them to close their borders to one another—an unsustainable solution that undermines European integration.
Cover photo: MTI