Brussels toughens its tone. According to documents revealed by Politicothe European Union has agreed to condition part of its commercial advantages on the cooperation of developing countries on the readmission of their nationals in an irregular situation on the continent. Meeting on Monday evening, negotiators from the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the European Parliament approved a text providing that access to the European market at reduced duties could be revised depending on “the readmission of nationals of the country concerned” identified as “migrants in an irregular situation in the Union”.
This orientation marks an assumed hardening. As our colleagues point out, only a small proportion of people who have received an obligation to leave the EU are actually returned, due to lack of cooperation from the countries of origin. From now on, “in the event of serious and systematic breaches” to the international obligation of readmission, the preferential regimes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) may be suspended “temporarily”for all or part of the products concerned.
“Return centers” in third countries?
This clause will apply with varying severity depending on the level of development of the country. This reform comes in a tense political climate. The electoral gains of nationalist right parties in Europe have increased pressure on governments to step up expulsions and reduce arrivals. For several years, the idea of using trade, development and visa levers to get third countries to take back their nationals has gained ground within the EU.
If the European Parliament, the Commission and several Member States were still opposed to it recently, fearing a deterioration of relations with strategic partners, the Danish rotating presidency, which ends on December 31, has made this issue a priority. The Ministers of the Interior and Justice are also due to meet next Monday to examine other avenues, including the creation of “return centers” in third countries.
