Externalising migration does not work, says liberal MEP Abir Al Sahlan

The current migration debate is largely dominated by EU countries seeking to delegate migration management outside European territory, making borders increasingly impenetrable for asylum seekers and intensifying the return of migrants to their countries of origin.

But some countries including Spain or Belgium have also opposed the idea of outsourcing irregular migration and building migrant centres in non-EU countries. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a news conference after the European Council summit last week that he rejected Italy’s model of processing asylum claims in centers built outside of the EU, saying it created more trouble than solutions. Instead, he pledged for a more humane approach to migration, which could also support the pensions of declining European populations. 

Today Al-Sahlani talked with Radio Schuman, and echoed the same sentiment. She criticised von der Leyen for being complicit with a group of countries that push for migration offshoring and condemned the lack of a clear commitment in the Council’s outcomes regarding the implementation of the first EU migration and asylum package, which was approved during the last legislative term.

A quick overview of the Agriculture and Fisheries meeting, where EU ministers are set to make some important decisions on Monday and Tuesday.

Also a look at the state of play of Italy-Albania deal. It seems that the centre still does not host anyone for the moment, because of an Italian court judgments did not confirmed the detentions.

On the last part of the show, we looked at why airlines are cutting their first-class – spoiler alert, they are commercialising an alternative.

Today’s Radio Schuman is hosted by Shona Murray, and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques. Audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and Georgios Leivaditis. Music by Alexandre Jas.