Treffen der EU-Innenminister_innen in Prag

Das Programm klingt erstmal relativ unspannend:

The Informal Meeting of Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs will be divided into two days. The first day will see the meeting of the Interior Ministers, who will discuss, inter alia, the use of modern technology for security purposes and safe use of modern technology. The following day will see the meeting of Justice Ministers, who will concentrate e.g. on the principle of mutual recognition in criminal matters and on the future of family law.

Allerdings hat die so genannte Quadro Gruppe (auch: EU4 oder früher mal nicht ganz ernst :: Club Med) noch einen weiteren Programmpunkt. Die Quadro Gruppe, das sind Italien, Zypern, Griechenland und Malta, und sie wollen vor allem über die :: vermehrte Ankunft von MigrantInnen an ihren Küsten sprechen.

Mittlerweile wurde dazu auch :: ein Papier verfasst, über das ein weiterer :: Artikel des Malta Independent detailliert Auskunft gibt (Update 06. Feb 2009: Das Papier der findet sich Quadro Gruppe :: hier als pdf).
Das Wenig überraschend geht es vor allem um zwei Forderungen: Ein EU-internes Umverteilungsprogramm für Flüchtlinge und der weitere Ausbau von Frontex.

Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus will jointly call on their European Union counterparts this week for "urgent action" in implementing the principle of solidarity and fair burden sharing of asylum applications, and for the intra-EU reallocation of asylum applications.

Weiter geht es um Rückübernahmeabkommen und Unterstützung für die nationalen Asylsysteme:

The quartet will also call on the EU to step up readmission negotiations with third countries as well as for additional resources and support to deal with the consequences of their over-burdened national asylum systems, according to a draft document seen by The Malta Independent on Sunday.

Die vier Länder fühlen sich von der EU ignoriert und versuchen daher, mit einem gemeinsamen Vorgehen ihrer Position mehr Gewicht zu verschaffen. In der Tat sind die EU-Kernstaaten mit dem Dublin-II Vertrag in einer sehr komfortablen Position, nämlich dass kaum noch Flüchtlinge zu ihnen gelangen oder sofort wieder abgeschoben werden können.

After appeals for solidarity and burden sharing on the overwhelming issue of irregular migration having fallen on deaf northern and central European ears for years, the four States will this week present a common stance on addressing the migratory phenomenon they have been struggling to grapple with since the deluge, quite literally, began landing on their shores. [...] The four States have formed the so-called Quadro Group, aimed at ensuring that the momentum gained during the past French EU presidency in addressing the major southern European issue is maintained across the current Czech and upcoming Swedish EU presidencies.

Sollte das alles nicht reichen, gibt es da noch den Griff in die diskursive Trickkiste. Die vier Staaten scheinen den Eindruck zu haben, dass irreguläre Migration nicht als groß genuges Problem wahrgenommen wird, und daher muss die unselige Verknüpfung von Migration, "organisierter Kriminalität" und Terrorismus mal wieder beschworen werden:

Moreover, the Quadro Group will note, the Mediterranean is also becoming a transit area for drug and other illicit trafficking from Africa and Eastern regions. It will also acknowledge that it is "highly likely" that illicit proceeds from such activities might also be financing terrorism.

Der Artikel geht dann noch in die Details des EU-internen Umverteilungsprogramms, welches Änderungen im Dublin-II Vertrag notwendig machen würde:

Lending their support to recent initiatives to introduce more effective burden sharing through amendments to the Dublin II regulation, which provides that the member State where a migrant first enters the EU bears the sole responsibility for processing that migrant’s application for asylum, the Group will highlight that any changes to the rules must "ensure a more equitable allocation of responsibility of asylum applications".
While the countries will state they prefer a more formalised approach to intra-EU reallocation over the longer terms, which may also include asylum seekers, they are to underscore that "at present the utmost priority is to start implementing intra-EU reallocation under existing agreements as early as possible".
They will also urge their fellow ministers to "consider reallocating beneficiaries of international protection from member States facing specific and disproportionate pressures due to their geographic or demographic circumstances".

Um dann zum Fokus dieses Blogs zu kommen: Frontex. Rhetorisch sehr geschickt wird der Menschenrechtsdiskurs bemüht: Nachdem die Frontexmissionen fehlgeschlagen sind, werden sie wenigstens zu humanitären Lebensrettungsmassnahmen umdeklariert:

Moreover, they will also call for burden sharing in terms of migrants rescued at sea in areas outside their legal responsibility, as has been the case so many times in the past with Malta rescuing migrants from within Libyan jurisdiction.
"Whereas Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta are willing to continue to overstep their responsibilities when necessary with a view to save lives at sea, in view of the migratory pressures faced by these same member States, it is considered that other member States should also shoulder part of this burden by assuming long-term responsibility for some of the persons rescued," the Group will state at the end of the week. They will add that such solidarity, in particular, could be expressed within the context rescues it carried during Frontex operations.

Aber wie stellt sich die Quadro Gruppe nun die Zukunft von Frontex vor? Die Forderungen sind nicht sonderlich neu: Mehr Geld, mehr Resourcen, mehr Macht, um Drittstaaten zur Kooperation zu zwingen. Weiter wird gefordet, "endlich" die Regionalbüros von Frontex zu eröffnen, was die Kommission ja schon :: im Frühjahr 2008 gefordert hat.

In terms of often-criticised Frontex operations, the Group feels that "that the way ahead lies in the strengthening of Frontex and in the continuation of joint operations" but that "Frontex will be really effective in the Mediterranean, only if efforts are intensified vis-à-vis complementary actions such as readmission and cooperation with key third countries".
Along these lines they will urge the Council to provide Frontex with the necessary financial resources, and for member states to provide it with the operational resources.
"In particular," the document will note, "it is important to ensure that assets committed to Frontex operations are indeed made available when the need arises. Analogous support should be given to member States responsible for the assumption of burdens of intercepted people during joint operations."
They will also lend their support to the setting up of specialised offices to enable Frontex to better assess the specific situations at borders of particular sensitivity.
Along the same lines, the four countries are to request additional resources and support for themselves. The document will state, "With the view to improving the capacity of the front-line member States in the areas of reception and protection of asylum seekers, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta should be assisted by the granting of resources and additional forms of support, in order to address the consequences of the over-burdened national asylum systems."
The joint document will also place importance on the readmission of migrants to countries of origin and transit – deeming the area to be an "urgent necessity" in delivering the message that illegal immigration is not viable, as well as to provide member States with a practical instrument for implementing returns.

Es ist dann auch wenig überraschend, dass die Quadro Gruppe die EU-Kommission als ihre natürliche Verbündete sieht und fordert, ihr endlich mehr politischen Spielraum in Sachen Verhandlung von Rückübernahmeabkommen zukommen zu lassen.

Noting that unless success is registered in the area, the EU’s efforts in the field of legal migration will inevitably be compromised, the Group will stress that the Commission must be given the necessary mandate and resources to conclude such agreements and to open negotiations with other key third countries.
In the same vein, the four countries are to seek practical measures in returning illegal immigrants including the procurement of travel documents and the organisation of joint return flights.

Um dann am Schluß nochmal die Menschenrechtskarte zu ziehen, auch wenn dies nur "freiwillige" Abschiebungen kaschieren soll.

They will additionally call for the EU to strengthen its cooperation with the UNHCR to ensure better protection for people outside EU territory who request it. They will request the Commission to present proposals for cooperation with third countries to strengthen the capacity of their protection systems, and to strengthen cooperation with organisations such as the International Organisation for Migration through the establishment of new regional offices in the southern and south-eastern Mediterranean to provide practical assistance through assisted voluntary return programmes.

Mal sehen, wer sich EU-intern durchsetzen kann. Die Woche bleibt spannend.

Text übernommen von :: frontex.antira.info, Informationen zum informellen Treffen auf der offiziellen Homepage des EU-Ratspräsident_innenschaft Tschechiens :: eu2009.cz