Directly from EU’s asylum policy meeting, several Member States have called for greater isolation of Europe. Bulgaria, which currently holds EU presidency, wants to propose at top meeting of 16 EU states to close external borders of Federation of States and to build refugee centres outside EU area. Austria’s Defense Minister Mario Kunasek demanded use of soldiers at EU’s external border.

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The soldiers could be deployed in Balkans, Italy and Greece. “The soldiers would be under a civilian command and could support police with logistics, reconnaissance and, if necessary, use of weapons,” said Kunasek. In addition, soldiers under auspices of Frontex could also help border guards in African countries.

According to media, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, called for immediate measures to close EU’s external borders and to impose strict controls at EU internal borders. Borisov also said that Bulgaria, like or countries, could not agree that migrants would be sent back to EU countries where y were registered for first time.

The meeting in Brussels is intended to prepare EU summit at end of June. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) wants to promote bilateral agreements for withdrawal of asylum seekers in order to avert a national single-handed approach by Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) in rejecting refugees.

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In fact, according to EU “Dublin” procedure, asylum seekers have to return to country of ir first registration – albeit by orderly procedure and not by rejection, as Seehofer now wants. But “Dublin” system has not worked for a long time. Seehofer is refore threatening his own way.

Twelve countries are missing

In addition to initially planned group from Germany, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, Austria, France and Spain, EU Commission now still includes Belgium, Nerlands, Denmark, Croatia, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg. Twelve states of EU do not participate. The Visegrad countries of Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia were conspicuously cancelled.

In terms of domestic policy, Merkel is under pressure. The CSU wants to disprove asylum seekers at German border if y are already registered in anor EU country. Merkel is opposed to doing something like this without coordination with EU partners, and instead wants a European solution with bilateral withdrawal agreements. The CSU leadership has given Merkel time to do so until EU summit on 28 and 29 June.

France and Spain, in contrast to Bulgaria, demanded centres for incoming migrants “on European soil”. There must be European solidarity and immediate financial support for this, said French president Emmanuel Macron after a meeting with new Spanish head of government, Pedro Sánchez, in Paris.