Approximately 250 Eurocrats, government officials, and representatives from UN and the policing agency Europol were in attendance at a low-profile conference in Copenhagen on Monday, where European policymakers considered solutions to the Continent’s asylum crisis.
Officials from Middle Eastern and African states were also present at the Copenhagen Migration Conference, sponsored by Denmark’s left-leaning government. The Nordic country’s ruling social democrats distinguished themselves from their European Union peers by supporting tighter migration controls.
The conference comes less than 30 days out from European elections that are expected to heavily favour the populist right. At the top of the agenda at the Copenhagen conference was the creation of partnerships with non-EU countries to help outsource migration management. The European Commission has already inked asylum agreements in exchange for financial aid with Egypt, Tunisia, and Lebanon in order to curtail illegal migration.
Under the terms of the Maastricht Treaty, Denmark has an opt-out clause from any migration-related legislation from Brussels, allowing the country to only partially accept the Migration Pact. Instead, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made it clear to conference attendees that Europe requires functional, long-term remedies for its rising migrant numbers. Her government plans its own Rwanda-style approach, by processing asylum claims in Africa—much to the chagrin of pro-open borders United Nations officials.
While a coalition of right and left mobilises against unregulated migration into the country, Denmark (like Czechia) is lobbying the European Commission to adopt the practice of transferring refugees away from member states upon arrival. This move is supported by most of the 27 EU member states, according to media reports.
EU delegate Nina Gregori confirmed on social media following the Copenhagen conference that European officials had liaised with North African representatives, including the Egyptian government, to “build their capacity” regarding refugee management.
Albania also played a leading role at the conference, with the country recently forming an agreement with Italy to manage the overflow of 36,000 asylum seekers per year (prior to its targeted EU accession by 2030). Overall this suggests strong momentum for greater cooperation between the EU and third-party countries on asylum management.
Objecting to the risk of more deportations, Danish anti-racism NGOs conducted a small picket outside the venue, with Danish Development Minister Dan Jørgensen stating in his speech that fair border security was the primary way to reduce migrant deaths in the Mediterranean and the influence of people smugglers. Such sentiments would be backed by Nicolas Schmit—the socialist candidate to replace Usrula von der Leyen at the European Commission—who pledged to water down such agreements if elected.
Just weeks after the European Parliament passed this hotly contested Migration Pact—which aims to harmonise asylum procedures across the bloc—voters are increasingly concerned about the consequences. Member states such as Poland and Hungary continue to object to the prospect of refugee quotas.
