Germany expecting breakthrough on EU migration rules as ministers hold talks in Brussels – Europe live

Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, said he was confident that deportation numbers would increase after the government approved a new security decree targeting refugee minors who lie about their age.

In a post on social media platform X, Piantedosi said the number of irregular immigrants deported from the country had risen by 20-30% so far this year compared to 2022.

“There is therefore extra commitment and organisation,” he said. “We have four years of work ahead of us and we are confident that the numbers of expulsions will increase.”

The government of prime minister Giorgia Meloni approved a decree on Wednesday saying that foreigners who lie about their age in order to benefit from a protection scheme reserved for unaccompanied minors arriving in Italy will be deported.

The decree gives police powers to estimate the age of asylum seekers using body measurements and x-rays. A similar system of age checks has been used in Milan for several years already, and in 90% of cases it was proven that the immigrants were, in fact, children, La Repubblica reported.

Until now, children arriving in Italy without a parent or legal guardian have been able to benefit from a special protection regime, introduced in 2017, based on the presumption of being a minor.

The decree also includes a measure stipulating that foreigners living legally in Italy will be deported if they are considered to be a threat to public order or national security.

Meloni’s ruling coalition, which came to power last October, is moving to enact more hardline measures amid a surge in the number of people arriving on Italy’s shores who are seeking refuge in Europe.

The Italian prime minister, who before being elected called for a naval blockade in the Mediterranean, admitted last week that she had hoped to “do better” on immigration after the number arriving in Italy so far this year eclipsed 133,000 – more than double the same period last year.

In 2022 there were 3,916 repatriations to 55 countries, including 2,724 people who were forcibly removed on special charter planes, according to figures cited in a report obtained by Reuters last week. The number of deportations is small when compared to the number of people seeking refuge – 105,129 – who arrived in 2022.

Sophie in ‘t Veld, a Dutch member of the European parliament from the centrist Renew Europe group, said today that member states need to move ahead with new asylum and migration rules.

“We absolutely need a breakthrough today,” she said as officials race to finalise a deal over proposed migration crisis rules which form part of a broader European migration and asylum pact.

“This is a key file and it will allow us to move on with the whole package – and at least have a chance of getting it across the finish line before the European elections,” she said. “Everybody can see that we have to find solutions now.”

“The member states have been blocking this for the last eight years. It’s irresponsible to continue blocking it,” in ‘t Veld said, adding however that “everything we adopt has to be fully in line with European values.”

“We will not contribute to fortress Europe. We want proper, humane and effective common European policies,” she said.

Poland’s ambassador to the EU, Andrzej Sadoś, told the Guardian today that Warsaw “is refusing to accept any elements of mandatory relocation, the distribution of some mandatory quotas” and is also opposed “to any obligatory payment for not accepting migrants.”

EU countries, he wrote in response to a question, “should have full discretion in choosing between different type of solidarity measures.”

“In our opinion, the instrument in proposed form does not adequately respond to crisis, force majeure and, above all, the instrumentalisation of migration,” the Polish ambassador said, adding that “the crisis regulation does not ensure the right balance between solidarity and responsibility.”

Germany moves on migration crisis regulation amid domestic pressure

Kate Connolly

The German government appears to have given up its blockage of the long-disputed crisis regulation over asylum seekers which forms a key part of the meeting of EU migration ministers in Brussels today.

The bloc is seeking to find agreement on a mechanism to fairly distribute asylum seekers arriving in the bloc outside of regular border posts.

Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser has said she now expects a breakthrough.

The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also showed optimism, telling the economic weekly Wirtschaftswoche: “We will pass the new common European asylum system legislation which will provide a solidarity mechanism for the intake and distribution of refugees.”

The Green party’s opposition to the core part of the reform had until Wednesday been the cause of the government’s failure to throw its weight behind it. The party’s concern is that in times of crisis protection standards for migrants would be inadequate under the new rules.

But Scholz took the executive decision at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the mechanism could no longer be blocked, using the rarely applied Machtwort and exercising his authority as head of government, and thus paving the way for Faeser to head to Brussels in a negotiating capacity rather than in what would likely have been interpreted as an obstructive mode.

Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister and leading Green, welcomed the development, saying: “finally Brussels can negotiate properly”.

Christian Dürr of the pro-business FDP, part of the coalition, praised Scholz’s “decisive action”, adding that “we now have a unique chance to better manage migration, a chance which we cannot waste”.

There is a sense of urgency over the matter in Germany, with the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees having registered more than 204,000 first-time asylum applicants this year, until the end of August, an increase on 77% in comparison to the same period last year.

This does not include the more than 1 million refugees from Ukraine who have fled to Germany, who are not required to apply for asylum.

The issue is high on the agenda of several looming state and local elections and seen as one of the main reasons for a soar in the far-right populist AfD’s poll ratings.

Nicole De Moor, Belgium’s state secretary for asylum and migration, said ahead of an EU ministers’ session today that “it’s an important day for Europe” and that the situation in many European countries “shows that the reform of Europe’s migration policy and asylum policy is really urgent – but we are on the right way and the right direction.”

The state secretary state said that progress has been made and that she is “confident” ministers can reach an agreement on a new migration crisis mechanism.

“We have to make progress in our relationships with third countries – countries of origin and transit countries – to invest in those countries, in economic opportunities, education, to offer people opportunities in those countries, and in the same time to cooperate with those countries on border management and on return.”

Asked about a controversial EU deal with Tunisia, the Belgian politician said the memorandum of understanding with the country is “an important step” and an “investment” in addressing root causes of migration.

“I think this is really the way we should continue, and make agreements with other countries as well,” she added.

The Irish justice minister, Helen McEntee, said this morning that she hoped EU countries reach an agreement today on new crisis rules for significant surges in the number of migrants arriving in Europe.

Speaking to reporters before a ministers’ meeting in Brussels today, McEntee said that “this has obviously been a long, ongoing negotiation among member states, it’s so important that we do reach a conclusion before the end of this current session”.

Discussions today on what Europe can do on the root causes of migration is an area which “from Ireland’s point of view, we have been particularly keen to try and address”.

Asked if Ireland will fully participate in the EU’s new migration and asylum pact if it’s agreed, the minister said: “We will participate in whatever way we can, yes.”

Lisa O’Carroll

On today’s agenda

Migration will remain one of the hottest topics on the agenda, diplomats have said before a key meeting of EU interior ministers today.

They will get a full briefing from the European Commission on the controversial €167m deal with Tunisia to stem irregular migration from the north African country to Italy.

They are also expected to reach agreement on a new law to create rules in the event of a repeat of the 2015/2016 crisis when more than 1m refugees came to the EU from Syria and beyond.

This follows agreement from Germany on a new text. Along with Ireland and Luxembourg, it had reservations about the rules governing unaccompanied minors.

The ministers will also open a discussion on the question of permanent residence for up to 4 million Ukrainian refugees.

They are likely to agree a commission proposal to extend the existing temporary protection directive to 2025 but ministers are keen to start the discussion for what happens beyond that working on the assumption that many of the 4 million Ukrainian refugees may make the EU their home.

Given Ukraine’s desire to join the EU it may also be a route into a wider discussion about freedom of movement, diplomats say.

We need to deprive populists from argument that Europe cannot sort migration, senior EU official says

Lisa O’Carroll

The EU is on the cusp of completing its package of new migration laws after Germany agreed to new rules in the event of a sudden surge in migration from a country in crisis, the commissioner responsible for coordinating the work on the new regime has said.

EU member states have already agreed new rules on asylum procedures and “solidarity” relocation of irregular migrants converging on frontline countries such as Italy, but they are now looking for a legal framework to deal with crises such as 2015/2016 when more than 1m refugees came from Syria and beyond.

“We are very encouraged by the progress made,” said Margaritis Schinas, the commissioner responsible for coordinating the package.

“And we hope that the ministers will agree today one of the on one of the most important remaining aspects of the overall reform, the crisis regulation,” said Schinas, a Greek centre-right politician who is a vice-president of the European Commission.

“If this happens, then we’ll have a window of opportunity to obtain the overall agreement before the European election of next year,” he said, adding: “We need to deprive the demagogues and populists from the argument that Europe cannot sort out our migration problem.”

Africans tell of being forced into the desert at Tunisia border

Lorenzo Tondo

Migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have spoken of their horror at being forcibly returned to remote desert regions where some have died of thirst as they attempt to cross the border into Tunisia.

After the European Union agreed to a €1bn (£870m) migration deal with Tunisia, human rights groups are urging Brussels to take a tougher line on allegations that Tunisian authorities have been pushing people back to deserted border areas, often with fatal results.

According to an official from a major intergovernmental organisation, Tunisian authorities relocated more than 4,000 people in July alone to military buffer zones at the borders with Libya and Algeria.

“About 1,200 people were pushed back to the Libyan border in the first week of July alone,” said the source, who was speaking on condition of anonymity. By late August, the source added, their organisation knew of seven people who had died of thirst after being pushed back.

An NGO working with refugees puts the estimate at between 50 and 70. The Guardian could not independently verify the figure.

“In early July, the Tunisian police captured us in Sfax,’’ said Salma, a 28-year-old Nigerian woman. “My two-year-old son and I were taken by some policemen and pushed back into the desert at the Libyan border. My husband was captured by other border guards and I don’t know what happened to him. I haven’t heard from him since then because while they were pushing us back I lost my phone.’’

Read the full story here.

The EU’s commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson said this morning that “we are making progress” and she is “optimistic” that European government can reach an agreement today on a proposal for crisis rules in cases when Europe experiences a large surge in the number of migrant arrivals.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Johansson pointed out that the crisis regulation is the “last piece” of the EU’s proposed new pact on asylum and migration.

Good morning and welcome back to the Europe live blog, which comes to you today from the EU Council in Brussels, where ministers from across the continent are discussing migration this morning.

Ministers will get an update on a controversial deal between the EU and Tunisia, and there are signals the EU’s member states are close to an agreement on the thorny issue of rules in case of a migration crisis.

The session comes at a time when Italy is stepping up its crackdown on migrants, and after Germany introduced border checks with Poland and the Czech Republic.

Throughout the day we will be delving into the ministers’ debates, as well as all the latest news and analysis on this issue from across the region.

Send your comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.