“There is no acceptance among the entire group of leaders gathered here at the European Council for regaining control [wewnętrznych] borders of the Schengen area,” Donald Tusk replied at the press conference after the EU summit to a question about the introduction of such controls by Germany.
Donald Tusk: Nobody accepts the closing of internal borders
The EU summit was dominated by the issue of migration. Seventeen member states, including Germany, expect the EU authorities to more quickly implement reforms of asylum procedures in the EU – they are to enter into force in 2026, but it looks like the whole process will accelerate. Scholz himself is a supporter of limiting migration and increasing the number of returns – or in practice deportations – of newcomers who have been refused asylum to their countries of origin or transit.
As Deutsche Welle's German correspondent Bernd Riegert wrote, “Scholz agrees, agrees – and praises increased border controls at German borders as an effective solution.” Tusk's words show that the German chancellor may be alone in this.
Reporting on the talks at the summit, the Polish Prime Minister said that “many statements were completely clear: either we will effectively protect the external borders, as Poland wants, or we will be doomed to recreate the internal borders.” He repeated that “there is no one who would in any way accept actions involving closing internal borders.”
“I have the impression that Chancellor Scholz has already understood this well,” emphasized Donald Tusk.
EU summit: Tightening migration policy is a fact
The “coalition of the willing”, i.e. countries determined to take a tougher course on migration, was clearly visible at the EU summit. Beyond the political spectrum, politicians from the Socialists, EPP, EKR and Patriots (Danish Mette Frederikssen, Donald Tusk, Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orban) sat at one table at a special meeting. Who wasn't at this meeting? Among them, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of France Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Scholz.
Ursula von der Leyen, however, announced “soon” a new EU law regarding the deportation of people whose asylum applications have been rejected. She emphasized that only one fifth of them are sent back to their countries of origin.
However, the summit's conclusions clearly indicate that the mere implementation of the Migration Pact and the announcement of new regulations in most countries will not be enough. Countries want to act – and some, like Poland, do not want to wait for Brussels to move.
The idea of ”return hubs” – in practice, deportation camps outside the EU – was widely discussed. Ursula von der Leyen admitted that this idea – also called “offshoring” in the media, and which is simply a response to the EU's impotence in deporting those migrants who have already entered its territory – “was discussed.”
In other words – it is difficult, but if you succeed, it is also promising. The head of the European Commission herself places her hopes on the success of the Italian project of deportation camps for migrants in Albania – she explicitly wrote about it in her ten-point plan for the migration crisis, published just before the summit. And it is no coincidence that she appeared at the above-mentioned meeting on migration on the sidelines of the summit.
One of its co-organizers was the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It was her government that launched the Albanian camps. The first people who will be in Albania – i.e. outside the EU – waiting for a decision on their asylum application or deportation, were brought there in recent days.
EU leaders also called for closer cooperation with countries of origin and transit – those to which they want to deport migrants – through “comprehensive, mutually beneficial partnerships”. This mainly concerns the North African countries – Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, whose generous cooperation has already allowed us to reduce the number of people sailing through the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. The EU's cooperation with third countries is intended, firstly, to eliminate the root causes of migration, and secondly, to combat human trafficking and smuggling.
Poland won its share
In the evening, provisions were added to the summit's conclusions, which signify acceptance of the actions planned by Poland as part of the new migration strategy. The EU expresses “solidarity with Poland” against the instrumentalization of migration by Russia and Belarus. In this way, it was emphasized – which Donald Tusk was very pleased with – understanding of the special situation that Warsaw has been struggling with for several years: organizing and supporting migratory pressure on the Polish – and EU – eastern border by hostile countries.
“We cannot allow Russia and Belarus, or any other country, to abuse our values, including the right to asylum, and undermine our democracies. The European Council expresses solidarity with Poland and the Member States facing these challenges. Exceptional situations require appropriate measures.” – says the text of the conclusions.
The last two sentences are a victory for Poland and Tusk, who rode to the top in the face of criticism both in the country – especially from the left and organizations defending human rights – and with the awareness of the caution with which, among others, The European Commission approached his idea of temporarily suspending the acceptance of asylum applications at the Polish-Belarusian border.
The summit showed how different the methods of action and argumentation are – despite the identical goal: limiting migration – used by Warsaw and Berlin. While Tusk was pleased that everyone was finally talking about migration without hypocrisy, Scholz emphasized that European and international law would continue to be respected.
The article comes from Deutsche Welle. The author of the article is Michał Gostkiewicz.