Leading EU states have developed a new strategy to combat illegal immigrants
Since November 1 of last year, the European Union has been conducting a border operation in the Mediterranean Sea called Triton. The purpose of this EU-wide action, which involves seven ships, four planes and one helicopter, is to save the lives of illegal immigrants reaching Europe by sea. However, Brussels does not hide that the Triton operation is no longer as large-scale an EU program as the Mare Nostrum refugee rescue operation, which ended due to funding cuts. Moreover, it is now openly stated that the Triton operation has actually launched the fight against illegal immigration across the Mediterranean.
Official Rome proposes involving non-European states such as Egypt and Tunisia in protecting EU borders. "Due to geographical proximity, third countries will be able to join in rescuing refugees more quickly and effectively and prevent tragedies on the water," the authors of the document claim. But the point is not just to save immigrants' lives, but to prevent them from entering the EU.
Thus, it is assumed that the navies of Tunisia and Egypt will transport refugees back to the North African coast. In turn, Brussels undertakes to assist these countries in "returning illegal immigrants to their homeland." Such a strategy, according to the authors of the document, should become a "deterrent effect" for illegal immigrants.
So far, all these proposals are still in the development stage and being coordinated with third countries. However, many European politicians are already criticizing this EU project. For example, Member of the European Parliament from the German Greens, Ska Keller, believes that Europe simply "wants to buy its way out of responsibility for illegal immigrants at any cost." In her opinion, states such as Tunisia and Egypt are by no means safe places for hosting refugees.
It should be noted that earlier, proposals had repeatedly been made from European capitals to create refugee reception camps in North Africa, where asylum seekers could submit their applications. This position, for example, is held by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière. There were several examples of "successful cooperation" between Europeans and Libyan authorities on this issue, when even refugees who had arrived in Italy were sent back to Africa within 24 hours. True, this happened under the old Libyan regime.
However, as "Russkaya Germaniya" notes, such a "tactic of intimidation" has by no means led to a reduction in the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe. It is clear that in today's conditions, when the Federal Republic alone expects up to 550,000 refugees in 2015, the issue of illegal immigration is more acute than ever for Europe. However, it seems that Brussels views tightening EU border controls as the only measure to resolve the refugee problem. European politicians clearly have no other methods for solving this problem.