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Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

EU agrees on reinforced external borders for irregular migrants

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 10 Feb 2023 17:34
3 Min Read

With irregular migration becoming one of the most pressing issues in the EU, the European Commission chief announces new stricter rules.

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  • From left, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Council President Charles Michel walk together to a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Feb. 9, 2023.
    From left, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European Council President Charles Michel walk together to a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Feb. 9, 2023 (AP)

European Union leaders have agreed on stricter measures to make it easier to expel asylum-seekers whose refugee applications are rejected, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Friday.

The new rules come in response to the increasing fear in Europe over rising irregular immigration which has become a contentious issue in several member states.

A 16-hour summit attended by EU leaders discussed the "European challenge that requires a European response," in addition to other topics.

The low number of failed asylum-seekers being sent back to their home countries is an EU main preoccupation.

Read: No. of illegal EU border crossings in 2022 hits 6-year high: Frontex

Millions of refugees are being hosted by the bloc from Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, while dealing with asylum claims from citizens of safer countries such as Turkey, Tunisia, and Bangladesh, many end up being considered economic migrants not eligible for asylum.

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"Pilot projects" that depend on the bloc's border patrol, asylum, and police cooperation agencies would look to instill "fast and fair asylum procedures" at the EU's external borders, Von der Leyen said.

The EU leaders demanded the commission "to immediately mobilize substantial EU funds" to reinforce that external border with "protection capabilities and infrastructure, means of surveillance, including aerial surveillance, and equipment," according to the summit document.

That decision came after certain EU countries, Austria especially, had pushed the commission to pay for reinforced fences made to prevent irregular migrants from crossing from neighboring non-EU countries, like Turkey. The European Commission chief has repeatedly said EU funds would not pay for fences.

However, EU officials pointed out that in the event Brussels paid for cameras, watch towers, and other infrastructure along the external border, that would free up countries to pour their national budgets into paying for fences.

The summit also agreed on a "principle" under which one EU country can use another EU member state's court decision to send an irregular migrant back to their home country.

The decision would make irregular migrants avoid "asylum shopping" whereby they go to another country to apply to stay after they were turned down in the initial one.

EU leaders agreed on another measure during the summit, "to increase the use of the safe-country concepts" that will open the way to the bloc formulating a common list, von der Leyen said.

Read: EU politicians summoned to The Hague over illegal pushback of refugees

  • Migrant Crisis
  • Ursula von der Leyen
  • asylum shopping
  • migrants
  • irregular migrants
  • European Commission
  • European Union

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