Some EU states imposing their own restrictions on immigration may also affect Estonia, “Aktuaalne kaamera” reported.
Valdaru added: “Estonia could start to be affected in this way that if migratory pressure in the EU continues, people will still try to come to the EU.”
“Usually, about these points, we talk about people arriving from Africa or the Middle East and going to Italy, Spain, or Greece, then trying to move further on. And Estonia may become part of this secondary wave of migration. A person seeking asylum may not want to come to Estonia, but may want to move on from here to their communities in Northern Europe, be it Finland, Sweden, or Norway. Then in that case, our country will be used as a transit country for further movement. The Police and Border Guard Board could consequently end up under significant strain,” he went on.
“We also have to follow the development of asylum policies in the other member states. If these become stricter, Estonia must be ready to review and, where necessary, tighten its own asylum policies,” Valdaru concluded.
Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE) said that Estonia has been managing migration control well. In his view, attention should instead be focused on the EU’s external borders.
Lauri Läänemets (SDE). Source: Ken Mürk/ERR
“Estonia is one of the EU’s best at returning the majority of people who should not be in the EU, back where they should be. Other states, really, have as it were problems with agreement fulfillment,” Läänemets told “Aktuaalne kaamera.”
“Really these rules and agreements made within the EU are quite effective when they are implemented. Our problem is simply that quite a few Central European states have not been enforcing them. Ultimately, it all starts with the external borders; the issue is not internal European movement. The second phase is that, yes, more effort should be made to fulfill these agreements and return those people who should not be in Europe. First and foremost, we need to close those external borders in the south,” the minister added.
The EU’s European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is responsible for Schengen border control.
Frontex deputy director Uku Särekanno also told “Aktuaalne kaamera” that the EU’s migration policy is sufficiently clear.
“At the EU level, the goal is certainly to maintain a unified policy, as that policy exists. But the question is whether it is being applied uniformly. From Estonia’s perspective, it is certainly important that all countries on the external borders do everything they can to implement the rules laid out in the Schengen border code so that the border gets uniformly guarded,” Särekanno said.
Uku Särekanno Source: Mait Ots/ERR
“We have to enforce the existing laws we have, because there are very clear requirements for member states on what they must do and how they should handle illegal migrants, yet there are often gaps in following these rules,” he added.
According to Särekanno, the situation is made further complicated by the fact that border enforcement often deals with consequences rather than causes. In his opinion, most resources should be directed at addressing where and why migrants are coming.
“There are three things that should be done. First, the border must be guarded from both sides, which means continuing agreements with countries we can negotiate with, be it Turkey or another country. Second, we need to clearly develop a separate regime for border sections where the partner on the other side is not being cooperative, for instance, Russia or Belarus,” he said.
Migratory pressure on EU countries is likely to rise over the next decade, “Aktuaalne kaamera” reported, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine, civil wars in Libya, Syria, and Sudan, instability in Lebanon, and conflicts between Iran and its regional allies including Hezbollah, and Israel. The main countries of origin for migration remain the unstable and impoverished parts of Africa and Asia.
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Publish date : 2024-10-14 23:38:00
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