As arrivals increased from pandemic lows on Thursday, European Union ministers sought ways to reduce unauthorised immigration and send more people abroad, reviving divisive ideas for border fences and refugee camps outside of Europe.
The Western Balkans route saw a sharp increase in unauthorised arrivals last year, totaling 330,000, the highest number since 2016.
The 27 EU migration ministers held talks after Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said, ‘We have a huge increase of irregular arrivals of migrants.’ We have a very low return rate, and I think this is an area where we can really advance.
Denmark, the Netherlands, and Latvia were among those to call for increased pressure on the roughly 20 nations, including Iraq and Senegal, that the EU considers fail to cooperate on returning their nationals who have no right to stay in Europe, through visas and development aid.
According to the executive of the EU, only about a fifth of these individuals are deported, and a further obstacle is a lack of resources and coordination on the EU’s end.
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