Macron’s EU migration plans are a sham to avoid loss of face

French President Macron wants to breathe new life into the European migration issue during the French European Presidency. However, the plans are being met with much scepticism from MEP Assita Kanko and MP Theo Francken. “There is nothing new on the table.”

“Old pots don’t always make the best sauces. The European Commission must change its recipe. Two years ago, it presented new proposals, so to speak, but nothing has happened since then. The dossiers are not moving forward. I would welcome the new momentum in the migration files if this did not have a high degree of déjà vu. President Macron has the major task of bringing the EU into alignment on migration and must not fail. But for that, he has to catapult the EU-Africa policy of the 1960s into the 21st century and stop illegal migration,” Assita Kanko says.

When will they understand it?

Theo Francken: “Draining the illegal flow of migrants must become Macron’s absolute top priority in this file. When will they understand that? I have been referring to the Australian model for a long time. Under Macron’s impetus, the EU now has the opportunity to show that it can provide concrete solutions. No one wants to see refugee boats capsizing at the EU’s external borders. That continues because the policy is flawed. There is a lack of decisiveness. It is a pity that people make the same mistakes over and over again and expect different outcomes.”

Sound and human migration

Migration is a perennial fact of life and continues to be an urgent issue for Europe. We must be honest: open borders, that’s not possible. But neither is a total stop to migration. The latter is not only impossible, but also undesirable. Genuine refugees fleeing war and persecution must be protected. Most people are not against migration, but against uncontrolled migration and the poor integration that makes it socially unsustainable. We must dare to choose sound and humane immigration. It is about being able to monitor that and link it to successful integration,” Assita Kanko concludes.