A union represents the views of an expert on regulations for countries outside the union.
Germany remains hesitant in adopting the idea of secure third countries for asylum seekers, while other European Union (EU) nations are advancing the concept. To defend its stance, the Union has commissioned a legal opinion from migration researcher Daniel Thym at the University of Constance. The 69-page document supports the notion that third-country models are legal under the German constitution, the Geneva Refugee Convention, and international human rights law.
However, the opinion specifies that these third countries must offer adequate living conditions according to international standards, which may not match the welfare state of Germany. Moreover, countries willing to receive asylum seekers should receive support in establishing a sustainable asylum system. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for third-country models, ascertains the legal opinion.
Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei, a CDU politician, calls for federal government action to implement this model in the EU. If Germany were to relinquish its opposition to third-country solutions, changes could be realized swiftly. Currently, ten countries, such as Ghana and Senegal, are considered safe countries of origin by German law.
Fifteen EU countries, including Austria and the Netherlands, are advocating for stricter asylum regulations and increased deportations to secure third countries. Given the recent electoral victories of right-wing populists in the European elections, this ideology might gain traction in Brussels. The latest EU asylum pact already plans for more stringent processes, whereby migrants with low acceptance chances should be deported directly from border camps.
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The EU parliamentary group, led by Thorsten Frei, advocates for the implementation of third-country asylum policies in the EU, seeing potential for swift change if Germany actively supports this approach. The 69-page legal opinion commissioned by the Union supports the legality of third-country models under German and international law, but emphasizes the importance of adequate living conditions and support for host countries. With the rise of right-wing populists in EU elections, stricter asylum regulations and increased deportations to secure third countries are becoming more prevalent ideas within the EU, as demonstrated by the advocacy of Austria and the Netherlands.
