Spanish refugee commission says EU migration pact undermines asylum rights

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – The Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR) slammed the EU’s new migration pact on Wednesday, saying it will only serve to undermine asylum and human rights.

After all-night negotiations, the EU ended years of political deadlock by striking a deal set to change how Europe deals with irregular migration.

"The nature and origin of the pact, which initially aimed to improve asylum systems with more guarantees and to establish an equitable distribution of responsibilities among states… is not addressed in this agreement,” lamented Estrella Galan, the general director of CEAR.

Instead, she said in a statement, that the pact “prioritized the interests of states, while neglecting individuals and their rights.”

CEAR attacked the idea that the new agreement would subject asylum seekers to more mandatory screening, which may put asylum seekers at risk of having their freedoms deprived until they are allowed in the EU.

It said the new “solidarity mechanism” will not help countries of entrance like Spain. This is because other nations will have the option to pay €20,000 (about $22,000) for each migrant denied entry under the mechanism that aims to see 30,000 relocations to countries that are not subject to as much migration pressure, CEAR said.

Furthermore, the organization slammed the concept that the money could be used to "reinforce policies of externalization and border control."

Meanwhile, the Spanish refugee NGO said the new pact will further discriminate against people from certain countries as well as those without documentation. CEAR says this poses a real threat to the principle of non-refoulment, which prohibits the forcible return of asylum seekers.

The agreement was reached under Spain’s rotating EU presidency, something the country’s left-wing prime minister applauded.

However, Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday acknowledged that the deal is not what he “would have liked.”

“But what’s politically relevant is that we send a message of unity on a subject that has divided many of the EU governments and given fuel to extremist discourses,” he said in Spain’s parliament on Wednesday.

Other major NGOs have also slammed the migration pact.

Amnesty International warned the deal will “lead to a surge in suffering,” by weakening migrant rights.

Save the Children said the deal “will lead to blatant violations of children’s rights, will endanger children on the move, and will lead to further separation of migrant families.”

Oxfam said the pact missed its opportunity and instead “agreed on more detention, including of children and families in prison-like centers.”

Meanwhile, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, which represents 117 NGOs, described Wednesday as “a dark day for Europe.”

The EU migration agreement still needs to be formally ratified by the European Parliament and Council.