The European Union’s 27 national leaders meet later on Friday to look for ways to avoid a new migration crisis and address a longer-term existential challenge of bringing into their bloc new countries, potentially as big and troubled as Ukraine.
Italy and Spain have voiced concern over irregular immigration increasing this year to their islands, while Greek waters in June were the site of Europe’s deadliest shipwreck in years, one that killed hundreds of migrants.
Germany, the preferred destination country for many of the migrants reaching Europe, has introduced border checks, saying they are needed to crack down on smugglers bringing people to its territory.
That decision came after Germany reported a nearly 80% rise in asylum requests so far this year, a concern for the centre-left ruling coalition facing a challenge from the far-right in local elections in Bavaria on Oct. 8.
Neighbouring Poland will hold a national election a week later, on Oct. 15.
Warsaw refuses to host new arrivals from the Middle East and Africa, although Poland has given shelter to several million Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion.
Other central and eastern EU countries have also put up border controls inside what is normally a zone of open travel, citing the need to crack down on people smugglers and migrants who avoid regular border crossings and arrival procedures.
The top migration official in the EU, home to 450 million people, last week said there had been 250,000 such arrivals so far this year – still far below 2015, when more than 1 million people made it across the sea, overwhelming the bloc.
But the matter is politically sensitive and anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies are on the rise in some EU countries ahead of continent-wide European Parliament elections next June.
‘GEO-STRATEGIC INVESTMENT’
Meeting in Grenada, Spain, the 27 will also discuss the strategic path for the EU after years marred by crises, from the COVID pandemic to Russia’s war in Ukraine to the 2022 energy crunch, and marked by challenges including climate change and economic rivalry with China.
Countries keen to join the bloc include Ukraine, Moldova and some in the Western Balkans. They all must meet numerous requirements to qualify, meaning accession talks take years. In 2020, Britain became the first ever country to leave the bloc.
From economic aid transfers to decision-making to maintaining cohesion, EU leaders will look on Friday at what needs to change inside their union to allow for another enlargement.
A tussle between Kyiv and Warsaw over Ukrainian grain exports gives a flavour of the challenges related to integrating a large and relatively poor country, let alone one at war.
In another example of the difficult trade-offs around bringing Ukraine closer to the bloc, sources told Reuters the EU executive is considering unlocking billions of euros for Hungary that had been frozen over rule-of-law concerns in a bid to lift Budapest’s veto on more support for Kyiv.
Such debates highlight a tough dilemma the EU faces in trying to bring in new members while deepening existing integration.
“The future of our aspiring members and their citizens lies within the European Union,” the leaders are due to say, according to their draft joint statement, which was seen by Reuters.
“Enlargement is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity … both the EU and future member states need to be ready.”