The right-wing Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, proposed a deal with an East African country to fly rejected asylum seekers from the Netherlands there. This suggestion came as Patriots leaders gathered in Brussels ahead of the European Council summit. The Dutch coalition government, which includes the Party for Freedom, is reportedly working on plans to toughen their migration policies. The proposal involves deporting asylum seekers from African countries who have exhausted all legal options in the Netherlands to Uganda. The Ugandan government is reportedly open to the idea and would receive financial compensation in return.
In addition to the proposal for deporting rejected asylum seekers to Uganda, the Patriots leaders also endorsed the Italy-Albania protocol. This protocol allows for the processing of asylum seekers in a center on Albanian territory while they await a response to their requests from Italian authorities. The project began with 12 asylum seekers this week. Leaders such as Viktor Orbán from Hungary and Marine Le Pen from the French Rassemblement National praised the protocol as a positive step towards reducing irregular immigration and managing migration flows. Wilders commended Italy’s approach and advocated for other countries to follow suit.
During the Patriots meeting, Le Pen expressed her lack of trust in the EU Commission’s approach to the migration issue. She acknowledged the efforts of some national governments but emphasized her skepticism towards the EU’s ability to address the problem effectively. The EU Commission had proposed ten focus points for migration discussions during the summit, including building partnerships with non-EU countries and increasing migrant returns using hubs outside the EU. However, Le Pen felt that these proposals were vague and did not sufficiently address the issue.
The Patriots meeting brought together leaders from 11 political parties across various EU countries to discuss migration policies and challenges. The group emphasized the importance of protecting the EU’s external borders and criticized the EU Commission’s policy of promoting uncontrolled immigration. Le Pen highlighted her lack of confidence in the Commission’s ability to resolve the migration problem ideologically. The leaders of the Patriots group intend to continue meeting regularly before each Council summit to address migration issues and advocate for stricter border controls and policies.
Overall, the Party for Freedom’s proposal to deport rejected asylum seekers to Uganda, in conjunction with the endorsement of the Italy-Albania protocol, reflects a shift towards tougher migration policies among right-wing parties in the EU. The meeting of Patriots leaders served as a platform for discussing these policies and expressing distrust in the EU Commission’s approach to migration. The group emphasized the importance of protecting the EU’s external borders and criticized the promotion of uncontrolled immigration. Moving forward, the Patriots leaders plan to continue collaborating and advocating for stricter border controls and policies to manage migration flows effectively.
