Scholz on Migrants and the Relief of Germany
A joint stance emerged as EU ministers pushed back against any plan to impose a mandatory relocation mechanism. The bloc would shoulder no burden for what was described as missteps in migration policy, and such proposals were rejected as harmful by German officials, including EU Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk in response to remarks from Olaf Scholz.
In a government briefing ahead of the upcoming EU summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz defended the framework for asylum procedures at the EU’s external borders. He described the agreement as a historic step that demonstrates the Union can bridge deep divides on contentious topics.
Scholz articulated that Germany would benefit from a fairer and more orderly system, noting that it has long been a main destination for significant internal migration within the Schengen area. He urged for collaboration with the European Parliament to secure an agreement ahead of next year’s European elections.
Details were summarized with the assertion that the migration pact would ease pressures on Germany, which had previously faced substantial migratory flows within the Union. Scholz emphasized that the country had shouldered a sizable share of internal movement and welcomed a new approach that would provide relief while maintaining solidarity across member states.
“We will not bear the cost of German mistakes.”
EU Affairs Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk, when queried by PAP about Scholz’s comments, recalled the June 2018 European Council conclusions. He stressed that relocation must remain voluntary and warned that attempts to enforce compulsory relocation would erode trust among member states and contradict the principle of solidarity.
Szynkowski vel Sęk further stated strong opposition to any move toward mandatory relocation, noting that Poland and other states would bear no responsibility for German policy errors while rejecting any ideas pushed from Berlin that would compel such measures.
The Migration Pact, as discussed by interior ministers across EU nations, outlines a framework for reforming migration rules. It envisions a system of compulsory solidarity, while preserving the choice not to relocate. The pact sets an annual minimum relocation target from nations receiving the most asylum seekers to those less exposed, with a baseline figure of 30,000 relocations and a minimum annual financial contribution of 20,000 euros per participant. The numbers can be adjusted based on yearly needs and solidarity conditions.
A senior EU diplomat who participated in the negotiations explained to PAP that the arrangement offers a choice between relocating migrants and providing a financial offset when there is reluctance to relocate. In recent days, a parliamentary chamber in Poland voiced opposition to the EU mechanism, reinforcing the government’s stance against the relocation proposal and suggesting that the matter could be put to a referendum.
Related discussions have included analyses of Scholz’s remarks in the Bundestag, plus critiques of how political narratives around forced displacement are framed in various EU capitals. The overall tone points to ongoing tension between calls for shared responsibility and concerns over national sovereignty in migration policy. (Source: wPolityce)