N-VA calls on European Parliament for more realism on asylum issue

When revising the EU visa system, the European Parliament takes it a step further than what the European Commission and the member states propose. The Parliament, for example, chooses to adopt a humanitarian Schengen visa and potential visa exemption at the Greek-Turkish border. “Thus, the European Parliament once again demonstrates that it does not envision a truly comprehensive solution,” European Parliament member Helga Stevens states. “Even worse: it continuously proposes measures that will only increase the influx of newcomers to the EU! While what we actually need is measures that will strengthen our borders. This asylum approach is divorced from reality; our N-VA delegation cannot support it,” she concludes.

Originally, the new visa system was to be a tale of improved instructions. “But instead of focusing on electronic declaration and a streamlined procedure for tourist or business visas for the Schengen zone, the EU traditionalists have opened the European door even further for even more asylum seekers. The humanitarian visa that they wish to introduce testifies to an outdated vision,” Helga Stevens observes. “We simply cannot indiscriminately open the borders to every asylum seeker that wants to come to Europe. The N-VA is of the opinion that as many refugees as possible need to receive good shelter, but also that it must be our main priority to organise this in the own region, rather than by definition in the EU.”

Comprehensive approach needed

For N-VA, every series of new asylum measures must fit within the framework of a comprehensive approach. “But Parliament shows its most unrealistic side time and again. We saw the same during the earlier vote about the distribution plan for 160,000 asylum seekers. Then, the focus was also on the influx, rather than first linking it to border strengthening.” If Parliament does not open its eyes, we will have to count on the member states once again, Stevens asserts. “The Council of Ministers must return good sense to Parliamentary negotiations. The Council shares our realistic principle: strong outer borders and shelter in the own region, that must be our primary focus. The member states have also proposed push-backs and maximum asylum ceilings that were considered impossible.”