Immigration will continue to be a key issue for the European Unionwho has duties in this matter and this is assumed by the one who aspires to be the new Commissioner for the Interior and Migration, the Austrian Magnus Brunner. During his hearing this Tuesday before the European Parliament he made it clear that does not take a dim view of the option of creating migrant centers outside the EUas promoted by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, but qualifies that They should only be used for those people whose asylum application has been rejectednot for everyone as a ‘waiting impasse’ in the face of these requests.
Furthermore, he believes that they have to be given while respecting fundamental rights, EU values and international humanitarian law, and contact must also be established with NGOs and other actors such as European agencies (Frontex). His experience in economic issues, he assured the MEPs, helps him “close complex circles” and find “solutions.”
Brunner made it clear in his hearing that security of the EU “will be an absolute priority” during the next legislatureassuming at the same time that the application of the migration pact must occur as soon as possible, as requested by some countries such as Spain. The date set for this is 2026, but the Sánchez Government insists that it be done in 2025. “Some points of the pact can be streamlined, but the challenge will be not to upset the balance between responsibility and solidarity,” highlighted the candidate. Austrian.
In the words of the potential commissioner, “returns are a key element” in migration policy, although he did not delve too deeply into agreements with third countries. Of course, it is necessary to talk about specific regulations on this point, since it is one of the great concerns of countries like Hungary or Italy. He assumes, however, that the good collaboration of some of these international partners is “another of the pending issues” for the EU.
In his new role, another basic idea of ​​Brunner’s, he maintained, is “to make returns faster and simpler, also resorting to digitalization”, something that in some way already contemplates the common pact on migration and asylum. At the same time, with everything, accepted the route of “promoting legal arrivals” because migration also has an economic component and the Union, he said, also has an important role “in attracting talent.”