On January 26-27, the first informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) under the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union will take place. The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to Schengen, which was rejected by Austria and the Netherlands, is not on the agenda. A day before the JAI, the Netherlands demanded that the European Union oblige several countries to accept their citizens who are considered ineligible to stay in the community bloc by limiting access to visas.

The JAI Council will be held in the capital of Sweden, the country that holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, from January 1 to June 30.

JAI Agenda Topics

The following topics are on the agenda of the informal meeting, according to the official program:

• Migration and asylum – EU return policy
• Fight against organized crime
• The role of Eurojust in supporting the coordination of investigations by national authorities, as well as in relation to the new tool for the transfer of criminal proceedings.
• Russia’s aggression against Ukraine

The topic of Schengen expansion is not on the agenda of the EU

The Netherlands is calling for visa restrictions to reduce illegal migration to the EU

A day before the meeting, the Netherlands demanded that the European Union force several countries to accept their citizens who are considered ineligible to stay in the bloc by limiting access to visas, according to Agerpres.

Dutch authorities are asking the bloc to make wider use of the powers it now has to temporarily suspend visa benefits as a tool in dealing with uncooperative countries in the case of deportation decisions.

The Netherlands is also demanding better enforcement of the migration pact agreed between EU member states, which is likely to anger countries in the European Union’s south, such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta, which are under pressure. due to the large number of migrants arriving via the Mediterranean.

According to the Dublin Regulation, the Member State where a migrant arrives for the first time is obliged to receive the person concerned and examine his or her application for asylum.

Countries on the EU’s southern flank accuse other member states of a lack of solidarity, as many of the latter refuse to accept a fixed share of the tens of thousands of migrants who arrive in the European Union each year.

The plan presented by the Commission envisages a more intensive exchange of information and faster decision-making to reduce barriers. In addition, the EU will accelerate cooperation with countries that respect deportation decisions taken by the European Community bloc.

Only last year, more than illegal migrants were detected in EU countries

In 2022 alone, more than 300,000 illegal migrants were recorded, the European Commission announced on Tuesday on the occasion of the launch of a new strategy to increase the pace of deportations from the EU.

According to the data of the Statistical Office of the EU (Eurostat), in 2021 migration services from the countries of the European Union requested the return of 342,100 people. Of them, only 24% were deported to countries outside the EU during the specified period, writes Agerpres.

Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told a press conference before the EU Council that ministers will discuss a new strategy for returning migrants who have entered the EU illegally and are now taking up accommodation places in several countries, including Austria, a country that is acting against the admission of Romania to Shegen.

• “This puts enormous pressure on the asylum, processing and accommodation systems. In 2022, the number of asylum applications was 920,000.
• This is almost three times more than those who arrived illegally in the European Union. The most applications were registered in Germany, France, Spain and Austria.
• If we look at the costs per capita, the greatest financial pressure was registered in Cyprus, then in Austria, then in Greece, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Belgium,” explained European Commissioner Ylva Johansson, reports Europa FM.

“Romania and Bulgaria fully deserve to join Schengen”

When asked if she knew that Romania and Bulgaria would not cooperate on the return, Ilva Johansson said on the contrary, reaffirming that “Romania and Bulgaria fully deserve to join Schengen,” writes Eurpa FM.

The first official meeting of the Yuvs Council is scheduled for March 9-10 in Brussels.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the European Parliament plenary last week that he understands the frustrations of Romania and Bulgaria, which he believes are justified, and which he wants to put on the agenda of the EU. Councils on the issue of the expansion of the Schengen area.

However, Austria still remains opposed.

Ahead of his visit to Bulgaria on Monday, Chancellor Karl Nehhammer sent a strong message: “As long as the Schengen area does not work, Austria maintains its veto against its expansion.”

For his part, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced that he and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Nouris “will push for the EU to implement effective measures such as consistent border protection in the fight against smuggling and illegal migration” at the JHA meeting this week.