EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner intends to rely more heavily on the carrot-and-stick principle in dealing with third countries on migration, he told dpa.
“The EU has levers such as visa policy and trade and development cooperation, which we must use as strategic instruments in Europe’s interest,” Brunner said in an interview with dpa.
He pointed to disputes with countries that, he said, had not done enough in the past to tackle irregular migration.
“We then imposed visa sanctions on one country and suddenly it worked.” The commissioner, who is from Austria, called this “migration diplomacy.”
Many countries aim to facilitate visas with the European Union because they expect concrete benefits for their economies.
Brunner indicated the EU could use this to its advantage, as the EU’s migration policy is not only designed to reduce irregular migration but also to offer opportunities.
“We need to become more flexible, faster and more digital, for example for skilled workers and scientists,” Brunner said.
The migration strategy unveiled this week by the European Commission says that over the next five years labour shortages in many key sectors will worsen. Brunner sees this as an opportunity but said the EU’s priorities are clear.
“If we give our citizens back the feeling that we have illegal migration under control, then we can talk better about legal migration.”
Over the past 10 years, the EU did not have control and rules were outdated, he said. “We must be able to decide ourselves who comes to Europe, not the people smugglers,” he stressed.
Intercept refugees on their route in special camps?
To further ease the EU’s migration situation, Brunner plans to deter asylum seekers from the often deadly routes across the Mediterranean and expand cooperation with third countries.
Special centres are envisaged along refugee routes, referred to as “multipurpose centres” in a strategy paper presented this week.
Such centres could, according to the commission, facilitate evacuations, take care of accommodating people in need or support migrants in a voluntary return to their home countries.
“This is about creating options in third countries along the entire route so that people do not set off on the dangerous journey,” Brunner said.
The EU repeatedly faces criticism for its financial support to curb unwanted migration from North African states such as Egypt.
According to the United Nations, Egypt currently hosts around 1 million refugees from crisis-stricken countries, some of whom try to reach the EU via the Mediterranean.
The Libyan coastguard also receives EU funds, but is also accused by sea rescue groups of using violence against people seeking protection.