EU looks to the future at summit on migration and enlargement

The European Union’s 27 national leaders are meeting on Friday to seek ways to avert another migration crisis and address a longer-term existential challenge of integrating new countries, potentially as large and troubled as Europe, into their bloc. ‘Ukraine.

Italy and Spain have expressed concern over increased irregular immigration this year to their islands, while Greek waters were the scene of Europe’s deadliest shipwreck in years in June, which killed hundreds of migrants.

Germany, the preferred destination country for many migrants arriving in Europe, has introduced border controls, saying they are necessary to crack down on smugglers bringing people into its territory.

The move comes after Germany reported a nearly 80% increase in asylum applications since the start of the year, a concern for the center-left ruling coalition facing a challenge from the far right during the local elections in Bavaria on October 8.

Neighboring Poland will hold national elections a week later, on October 15.

Warsaw refuses to welcome new arrivals from the Middle East and Africa, even though Poland has welcomed several million Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion.

Other central and eastern EU countries have also implemented border controls inside what is normally a free movement zone, citing the need to crack down on smugglers and migrants which avoid regular border crossings and arrival procedures.

The top migration official in the EU, home to 450 million people, said last week there had been 250,000 such arrivals so far this year, far lower than in 2015 , when more than a million people had crossed the sea, thus crushing the entire bloc.

But the issue is politically sensitive and anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are increasing in some EU countries in the run-up to continent-wide European Parliament elections next June.

‘GEO-STRATEGIC INVESTMENT’

Meeting in Granada, Spain, the 27 will also discuss the EU’s strategic path after years marked by crises, from the Covid pandemic to the Russian war in Ukraine via the energy crisis of 2022, and marked by challenges such as climate change and economic rivalry with China. .

Countries keen to join the bloc include Ukraine, Moldova and some Western Balkan countries. They all must meet numerous conditions to be eligible, meaning membership negotiations take years. In 2020, Britain became the first country to leave the bloc.

From economic aid transfers to decision-making to maintaining cohesion, European leaders will examine on Friday what needs to change within their union to enable further enlargement.

A fight between kyiv and Warsaw over Ukrainian grain exports gives a sense of the challenges of integrating a large and relatively poor country, let alone one at war.

In another example of the difficult compromises to be made to bring Ukraine closer to the bloc: sources told Reuters that the EU executive was considering releasing billions of euros for Hungary that had been frozen due to rule of law concerns , with the aim of lifting Budapest’s veto on the bloc. more support for kyiv.

Such debates highlight the difficult dilemma the EU faces when trying to attract new members while deepening existing integration.

“The future of our future members and their citizens lies within the European Union,” the leaders are expected to declare, according to their draft joint declaration, seen by Reuters.

“Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity… the EU and future member states must be ready.”