Anyone who thought the incompetence of the residents of Brussels’ Ink Castle couldn’t be improved is about to be proven wrong. After the now-retired German refugee official engineered the billion-dollar refugee deal with Turkey, the success of which everyone should judge for themselves, Mrs. von der Leyen is now on the same page. Along with Giorgia Meloni, Mark Rutte and Tunisian autocrat Kaïs Saïed, she can be applauded for the recently launched asylum pact. The Tunisian ruler, who governs strictly, was promised 900 million (!) euros in European tax money to prevent refugees from moving to the EU. Although the deal with Turkey had been being negotiated for weeks, this time it was obviously just about producing some kind of result quickly and at any cost. There are no detailed agreements on how the project should be carried out in a way that respects human rights, makes sense and is sustainable. It is unbelievable that, after 8 years of the refugee crisis, people still act in such an amateurish way. How sensible it is to conclude such agreements with autocrats is also demonstrated by the fact that, after this madness was decided, the number of refugees immediately increased and another 110 boats headed for the European coast, largely unhindered by the guards. Tunisian coast. 900 million euros is probably not enough for Mr. Kaïs Saïed for his exemplary commitment to combating the refugee crisis, and he is already tightening the “blackmail screw” a little.
Published on Saturday, September 2, 2023