Germany has reportedly hardened its stance on migrant returns, seeking to resume transfers to Italy and Greece following the entry into force of the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, ANSA news agency reported on Monday.
After the pact entered into force on June 12, a spokesman for the German Interior Ministry told ANSA that the functioning of the Dublin system is “an indispensable condition” for the success of the Common European Asylum System.
The spokesman added that Berlin expects transfers to Italy and Greece to resume from that date.
Under the Dublin regulations, the asylum claims of incoming non-EU migrants need to be processed in the first country of entry in the EU.
The new pact also introduces stricter rules on secondary movements of migrants between EU member states, a long-standing source of friction between Italy and countries such as Germany, Austria and France.
Meanwhile, Italian Interior Ministry sources told the news agency that there are “no Dublin migrants to take back from Germany.”
The sources said Italy considers all alleged “Dublin migrants” who moved to another EU member state after landing in Italy before June 12 to have been cleared under agreements reached with some countries.
The sources also said it was “still too early” to establish whether migrants who arrived in Italy after June 12 are currently in other EU countries, as “too little time has passed to establish this.”
For irregular migrants who arrived after June 12, Italy will argue that a “compensation” mechanism should be applied, taking into account migrants who landed in Italy aboard vessels operated by NGOs flying European flags, the sources said.
