EU encourages migrant deportations in departure from previous policies

Mar 15, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer/Editor)

The European Union is taking a different approach to immigration than what it once echoed to its coalition. The EU is urging its 27 member countries to deport more people illegally entering Europe.

Around one in five migrants who qualify for deportation is actually being sent back to the migrant’s home country–a far cry from EU leaders’ previous stances on immigration policy.

In 2015, more than 1 million migrants fleeing war in Syria and Iraq went to Europe. Now, immigration has become one of its greatest political crises.

Germany’s then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened her country’s borders to all migrants, something then-presidential candidate Donald Trump called a catastrophic mistake. It sparked a lively debate the two would continue for years.

The EU’s new approach appears to incorporate a stricter stance and is now more closely aligned to Trump’s stance than Merkel’s.

As the Union is failing to deport 79% of illegal migrants across Europe, some countries are calling out the EU’s leniency as undermining its legal immigration process. One Hungarian official said the EU has lost control over immigration.

“They continue to push for the mandatory distribution of migrants,” Bence Rétvári, Hungary’s parliamentary state secretary of the Ministry of Interior, said. “They do not see that this is an invitation letter and it does not work.”

The EU’s top migration official, Ylva Johansson, is calling for enforcement of immigration laws, calling for EU members to utilize planes to send back migrants. The top migration official said the EU’s Border and Coast Guard agencies are well equipped to organize deportation flights, adding that one flight with 68 illegal migrants will be returning to Bangladesh today.

Tags: Donald Trump, Europe, European Union, Germany, Immigration, migrants

KARAH RUCKER: THE EUROPEAN UNION IS TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION THAN WHAT IT ONCE ECHOED TO ITS COALITION.

THE E-U IS URGING ITS 27 MEMBER COUNTRIES TO DEPORT MORE PEOPLE ILLEGALLY ENTERING EUROPE.

RIGHT NOW – AROUND ONE IN FIVE MIGRANTS WHO QUALIFY FOR DEPORTATION ARE ACTUALLY BEING SENT BACK TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES.

IT’S A FAR CRY FROM EU LEADERS’ PREVIOUS STANCES ON IMMIGRATION POLICY.

IN 2015, MORE THAN ONE MILLION MIGRANTS FLEEING WAR IN SYRIA AND IRAQ WENT TO EUROPE. IMMIGRATION BECOMING ONE OF ITS GREATEST POLITICAL CRISES.

GERMANY’S THEN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL OPENED HER COUNTRY’S BORDERS TO ALL MIGRANTS.

SOMETHING THEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP CALLED A CATASTROPHIC MISTAKE – A LIVELY DEBATE THOSE TWO WOULD HAVE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

BUT IT SEEMS NOW – THE E-U’S APPROACH IS TAKING A STRICTER STANCE…CLOSER ALIGNED TO TRUMP’S STANCE THAN MERKEL’S.

SEEING THE UNION IS FAILING TO DEPORT 79 PERCENT OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN EUROPE – SOME COUNTRIES ARE CALLING OUT THE E-U’S LENIENCY AS UNDERMINING ITS LEGAL IMMIGRATION PROCESS.

HUNGARY’S STATE SECRETARY SAID QUOTE – “THIS IS THE DOMINANT WORLDVIEW WITHIN THE EU, THE PRO-MIGRATION. THEY CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THE MANDATORY DISTRIBUTION OF MIGRANTS. THEY DO NOT SEE THAT THIS IS AN INVITATION LETTER AND IT DOES NOT WORK.” SAYING THE EU HAS LOST CONTROL OVER IMMIGRATION.

THE E-U’S TOP MIGRATION OFFICIAL IS CALLING FOR ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS — CALLING FOR EU MEMBERS TO UTILIZED PLANES TO SEND BACK MIGRANTS.

THE TOP MIGRATION OFFICIAL SAID THE E-U’S BORDER AND COASTGUARD AGENCIES ARE “WELL EQUIPPED” TO ORGANIZE DEPORTATION FLIGHTS.

ADDING THAT ONE FLIGHT WITH 68 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS WILL BE RETURNING TO BANGLADESH TODAY.