This Thursday, Europe managed to reach an agreement on the future crisis mechanism that will force governments to support in the reception of asylum seekers to partners overwhelmed by the pressure at their border, but which buries the mandatory relocation quotas by defending an ‘a la carte solidarity’ that provides for different forms of financial compensation to avoid relocation to their territory.

This has been evident in the meeting of interior ministers of the European Union which is being held in Brussels and which has served to confirm in a public session that, despite there being no unanimity, there is sufficient support to adopt the latest draft presented the day before by the Spanish presidency in office.

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has found that there is a “unquestionable majority” supporting the latest version of the document, for which he has informed the rest of the partners that the dossier passes into the hands of the ambassadors so that they can conclude the process and “explore the mandate to be able to negotiate with the European Parliament.” After the last technical contacts throughout the morning of this Thursday in Brussels, in the debate at Twenty-Seven, several ministers intervened to clarify their country’s position, with the key intervention of the German minister, Nancy Faese, who announced that Germany lifted its reservations, which in practice means ensuring a qualified majority.

The lack of consensus on this file had become the last obstacle for the Council and the European Parliament could negotiate the final version of the Migration and Asylum Pact who want to close before the legislature ends in June 2024.

The general approach of the 27 cannot be endorsed at the same meeting of ministers due to a formal issue that complicates last-minute changes to the agenda, but European sources explain that it will be done in a ambassador level meeting throughout the afternoon of this Thursday.

“Solidarity on demand”

After a first attempt last July that did not achieve sufficient support, the current presidency that Spain exercises this semester presented a new draft on Wednesday, to which Europa Press has had access, which maintains the idea of ‘solidarity on demand’ which Brussels already included in its initial proposal for a regulation. The document, however, avoids the reference to “sponsored” deportations that the European Commission raised at the time; but it offers a menu with several alternatives for those who do not accept the reception of a quota of asylum seekers, for example paying compensation to cover the cost of hosting in the country of arrival or for finance deportations.