The Aquarius, which is currently being lost in the Mediterranean with more than 600 refugees on board, is only the illustration of a dark everyday life on the borders of Europe. With the exception that, this time, the effect « hot potato » between Italy, Malta, Spain and France mediatized the event in an inglorious way.
In reality the Aquarius announces a long series of dramatic breaking downs if nothing is done very quickly. Fact is that the Dublin regulation has lived!
It is becoming urgent to define a European asylum system based on the welcoming capacity of the States, itself defined over a more contractual and longer term (for example three years), and better debated with the national Parliaments. Why not modulate a part of the European funds (ERDF, ESF, future EMF …) to the degree of commitment of each in this new integrated policy.
It is also essential to transform the current European Asylum Support Office (EASO) into a strong European Agency responsible to the Commission and the Parliament, as well as a decentralized network within the States. The temptation is great to evade the issue. Why not… but it is playing the risky game of assuming the feeling of abandonment that can be felt by States in charge of the external borders of the Union and. De facto, it is accepting the nationalist upsurge in these latters. The Orban, Conte, Jansa did not arrive on a snap …
We have many reasons to reform the right of asylum in Europe. We can do it by humanity towards migrants. We can do this in order to show the rest of the world what Europe is at a moment when the latter is looking for new leadership. We can do it, simply, in order to preserve our unity, our democracy, some would say our « tranquility » … Each of these claims, each of these point le views deserves to be listened to and respected. But what is certain is that we have everything to lose by doing nothing.