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The Migration Crisis is EU Incompetence

In a recent article for the New York Times Ronald Noble, the recently retired Secretary General of Interpol, said that terrorist attacks were closely linked to open borders in the EU.  However, the unchecked movement of people throughout the EU might still be possible if the EU controlled its external borders.

The other side of free movement within the EU is external border control by the EU.  The media praise the EU for the first and incorrectly blame the Member States for the latter.  The EU Council is responsible for external borders (see full documentation below) but is so incompetent it opens the borders then dithers about the consequences, hoping the Member States will get the blame whilst it fails to take the necessary decisions.  The incompetent dithering means that the EU is now in danger of being held to ransom by countries that have large numbers of refugees.

The EU has not just been incompetent in the management of the migration crisis, it has also been naive.  When the EU Council opened its borders to migrants the Turkish authorities immediately saw an opportunity to offload its burden of refugees into the EU.  They released hundreds of thousands of refugees from safe camps in Turkey into the Mediterranean Sea. Why?

According to the Turkish, English language paper, Today's Zaman. the Turkish President "Erdoğan asked for 3 billion euros in aid in fresh money (not from pre-accession funds already allocated for Turkey's EU bid), speeding up visa-free travel for all Turkish citizens (not just for students or businessmen), opening at least five new chapters in accession talks and holding summits with candidate country Turkey." EU Turkey Summit

So the EU is being held to ransom. The most extraordinary feature of this incompetence by the EU and extortion by Turkey is the way that the British media have failed to report it.  It is one thing to be pro-EU and not to want to paint the EU in a bad light but it is another to entirely ignore incompetence and extortion.



EU Responsibility for Migration

Perhaps the most important document detailing the EU rules on migration and asylum is:   REGULATION (EC) No 562/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL which provides a complete set of regulations for external borders. Click on the link, its all there but the EU was too incompetent to enact the rules.  Member states like Hungary are acting as contractors to the EU, the final blame for their actions lies with the management.

Frontex HQ
 The EU set up "Frontex" to ensure:
  • The Coordination of operational cooperation between Member States regarding the management of external borders.
  • Assisting Member States in the training of national border guards.
  • Carrying out risk analyses.
  • Following up the development of research relevant for the control and surveillance of external borders.
  • Assisting Member States in circumstances requiring increased technical and operational assistance at external borders.
  • Providing Member States with the necessary support in organising joint return operations.
However, Frontex seems to be spending its 90m Euro budget on its HQ rather than its function.

Even outside Shengen the EU has responsibility for external borders:


Treaty on the Functioning of the EU
POLICIES ON BORDER CHECKS, ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION Article 77
1. The Union shall develop a policy with a view to:

(a) ensuring the absence of any controls on persons, whatever their nationality, when crossing internal borders;
(b) carrying out checks on persons and efficient monitoring of the crossing of external borders;
(c) the gradual introduction of an integrated management system for external borders.

2. For the purposes of paragraph 1, the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall adopt measures concerning:

(a) the common policy on visas and other short-stay residence permits;
(b) the checks to which persons crossing external borders are subject;
(c) the conditions under which nationals of third countries shall have the freedom to travel within the Union for a short period;
(d) any measure necessary for the gradual establishment of an integrated management system for external borders;
(e) the absence of any controls on persons, whatever their nationality, when crossing internal borders.

3. If action by the Union should prove necessary to facilitate the exercise of the right referred to in Article 20(2)(a), and if the Treaties have not provided the necessary powers, the Council, acting in accordance with a special legislative procedure, may adopt provisions concerning passports, identity cards, residence permits or any other such document. The Council shall act unanimously after consulting the European Parliament.

4. This Article shall not affect the competence of the Member States concerning the geographical demarcation of their borders, in accordance with international law.

Also see http://www.irinnews.org/report/101892/eu-pays-price-for-lack-of-migration-planning

First published 16/9/15 amended 26/11/15

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