EU court questions Italy's 'safe country' list for migrants – DW – 08/01/2025
Judges at the European Union's top court ruled Friday that Italy can fast-track deportations of migrants to countries it designates as "safe" if it meets certain conditions.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) was asked if an accelerated asylum procedure, allowing officials to quickly return migrants from countries not facing war or significant crises, was permissible.
EU countries are allowed to designate safe countries of origin to fast-track asylum procedures if authorities disclose the sources for their assessment, the court ruled.
"The sources of information on which such a designation is based must be sufficiently accessible, both for the applicant and for the court or tribunal having jurisdiction," the EU's top court wrote.
A second condition stipulated by the court is that a state can only be designated as a safe country of origin if it offers adequate protection to the entire population, including minorities.
The Luxembourg-based court also said that while having a fast-track procedure does not violate EU law, the designation of safe countries must be subject to judicial scrutiny so migrants can challenge decisions made on their asylum claims.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the ECJ's ruling on the classification of safe countries of origin. She said the decision further restricted the already limited room for manoeuvre of governments.
"This is a step that should worry everyone," Meloni said. "The court's decision weakens the policy to combat illegal mass immigration and to protect national borders."
Two Bangladeshi nationals, who were rescued at sea last year by the Italian navy, were taken to a detention center in Albania.
As Bangladesh is on a list of countries Italy considers safe, their claim for asylum was given a speedy assessment before being rejected.
However, an Italian court held last year that migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt could not be immediately returned because those countries are not safe enough.
Judges at the Rome District Court, which referred the case to Luxembourg, will have the final say in determining whether the procedure was correctly applied for the two Bangladeshi nationals.
The fast-track process and detaining migrants at facilities in Albania were introduced by Meloni's government in an effort to curb the number of migrants entering the country.
Both policies have faced intense criticism. Italian courts have ruled against the policies and referred several cases to the EU's top court in Luxembourg for clarification.
Opposition politicians argue that the scheme is expensive, complicated, and detrimental to migrants' rights. A non-governmental delegation observing the process in Albania says it illegally deprives migrants of assistance with asylum claims.
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18 hours ago
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Inside the EU's stalled plan to penalize Israel – DW – 08/02/2025
For the first time ever, EU officials have threatened to restrict Israeli access to research funds over its conduct in Gaza. But the move is still under review, and many say it is too little, too late as famine looms. Something changed in Brussels over the last few days: After more than a year and a half of urging Israel to end bombardments and blockades of Gaza, the EU took a step toward backing its words with action. "The mood has hardened significantly," one EU diplomat who asked not to be named told DW. With the United Nations warning of a "grave risk of famine" in Gaza, the EU's executive — for the first time — has proposed penalizing Israel by barring Israeli startups from accessing some EU research funds. "With its intervention in the Gaza Strip and the ensuing humanitarian catastrophe, including thousands of civilian deaths and rapidly rising numbers of spreading extreme malnutrition specifically of children, Israel is violating human rights and humanitarian law and thus is in breach of an essential principle of ... EU-Israel cooperation," the European Commission wrote in its proposal on Monday. But the plan isn't over the line yet. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The new proposal hit a hurdle immediately after reached the EU's 27 capitals. Some states, including Germany, were asking for more time to asses the plan, EU diplomats told DW. And without Berlin's backing, the plan is unlikely to advance. On Monday, Israel's Foreign Ministry called Brussels' proposal "unjustified" and claimed any such punitive measures would only serve to "strengthen Hamas." Oxfam's Bushra Khalidi told DW there is now "clearly growing pressure within some pockets of the [EU] Commission, backed by some EU countries, to shift course" toward taking action on Israel. "But let's be clear," she added. "The fact that the EU cannot even agree on the smallest step is a disgrace. The bar is on the floor, and yet the EU and some EU countries are still managing to trip over it." Ever since the militant group's attacks on October 7, 2023, the EU has been united in its condemnation of Hamas — classed as a terrorist organization by the bloc — and in its call for the release of Israeli hostages. Beyond that, however, every statement on the EU's ties with Israel has been fiercely debated across a deeply divided bloc. On one end of the spectrum, there are countries like Spain and Ireland. Since February 2024, Madrid and Dublin have been calling for an "urgent review" into Israeli compliance with the agreement that governs its trade and relations with the EU. On the other end, Hungary is seen as Israel's staunchest EU ally, and has been blocking any measures requiring bloc-wide backing. This includes sanctions on a handful of violent Israeli settlers — in contrast to the UK, an ex-EU member, which approved a similar measure months ago. Berlin has also been seen as a strong Israeli ally. Germany views itself as having a historic responsibility toward Israeli security, due to its Nazi past and its systemic murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. While the EU remains divided on Israel, first signs of a diplomatic shift came in May of this year, when most of the bloc's 27 members backed Spain and Ireland's year-and-a-half old call to review Israel's compliance with the EU association agreement. The Netherlands was among countries which switched camps and prompted the turning point. Germany stuck to its position and warned against the review, urging dialogue instead. However, Berlin was overruled and the investigation went ahead. The review pointed to a series of suspected Israeli breaches, from blocking aid entry to Gaza and attacking hospitals and journalists, to expanding illegal settlements. In a letter seen by DW, Israel blasted the review as a "moral and methodological failure," claiming the UN reports the review was based on were "anything but impartial." But the EU executive stood by its findings and in June, most EU states asked the bloc's officials to draw up a list of possible punitive measures. According to a leaked internal document seen by DW, that list includes halting visa-free travel for Israeli citizens, restricting student exchanges, banning imports from illegal settlements, and sanctioning some Israeli ministers. Some of the measures — such as sanctions — would require unanimous EU support. Others — such as trade restrictions — only require a rubber-stamp from a weighted majority of EU governments. However, even those measures would need to be endorsed from at least a few of the EU's most populous states — Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland. Armed with these potential options, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas held talks with her Israeli counterpart — and announced what seemed like a breakthrough just days before EU ministers were due to discuss punitive measures. "Significant steps have been agreed by Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," Kallas said in a statement on July 10. Germany also helped broker the so-called "common understanding." EU officials said Israel's commitments included facilitating a "substantial increase" in trucks entering Gaza and reopening some aid routes. When EU ministers met on July 15, they decided not to advance any steps against Israel, instead asking for regular reports on its compliance with the new deal. Israel's foreign minister called that outcome "an important diplomatic success." "We managed to fend off all types of obsessive attempts by several countries to impose sanctions on Israel in the EU," Gideon Sa'ar wrote on X later that day. But as the month of July went on and warnings of starvation mounted, Brussels' diplomacy option looked less and less effective. "There has been some progress," the EU's humanitarian aid chief Hadja Lahbib said on Friday in a post on X. "But let's be honest: it's still a drop in the ocean. Without access, we cannot properly assess needs or deliver aid." The Israeli government told DW it has "begun implementing significant measures to facilitate humanitarian aid," including "humanitarian pauses," and designating "secure routes" for food delivery. The statement blames the UN and Hamas for the crisis and claims there is "no starvation" in Gaza — despite aid groups' evidence to the contrary. But most European governments say Israeli measures fall far short. Some states including Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain are now openly calling for the EU to go much further and freeze its trade deal with Israel. That would make it more expensive and difficult for Israeli firms to export goods to the EU — Israel's biggest trading partner. "The situation in Gaza is utterly deplorable, and Israel is not fulfilling its most basic obligations and agreed-upon commitments regarding humanitarian aid," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X on Thursday. "Economic pressure on Israel must increase," he added. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Restricting trade is a power that lies with the EU's executive in Brussels, meaning national governments can't take matters into their own hands. But individual EU states have taken other decisions to pile pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Several countries including Spain and Belgium have restricted arms exports to Israel. And with EU-level sanctions looking unlikely, Slovenia and the Netherlands have also banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering their territory earlier this month, accusing them of promoting "ethnic cleansing." In a visit to Israel on Thursday, Germany's foreign minister warned his Israeli counterpart that he risked isolation. Capitals across Europe watched the visit carefully — because any shift in Germany's approach could determine whether planned EU penalties will kick in, or remain an empty threat.
DW
a day ago
- DW
Recognizing Palestine would deepen French Muslim-Jewish rift – DW – 08/01/2025
President Emmanuel Macron's announced intention to recognize a Palestinian state has sharply divided French politicians. France's Jewish and Muslim communities also fear it could drive them even further apart. Mohammed Iriqat has witnessed first-hand France's shifting stance on the crisis in the Gaza Strip, from the taunts he once received for wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf symbolizing Palestinian solidarity, to being part of widespread protests as the devastating war in the Palestinian enclave grinds on. Now, the Paris-based Palestinian law student is experiencing yet another shift after President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that France will recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September. "It's very symbolic, but ultimately important," Iriqat, 30, said of the statehood recognition, even as he prefers tougher options like boycotts and sanctions against Israel. Still, he added that the move "will build on others for a new era." Iriqat's response echoes the fractured reaction in France to Macron's statehood announcement, which has sharply divided France's political class and deepened tensions between its Jewish and Muslim communities, Western Europe's largest. Both have seen a sharp uptick in attacks since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted nearly two years ago. Even with a split on the statehood recognition, both faiths also worry their fraying ties may further erode. "The war has ended many relationships, both among leaders and among the population," Gerard Unger, vice president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), told DW. "The two sides hardly speak anymore. Each side is aware that if they do, each will declare it's a victim." The CRIF is among those blasting Macron's declaration, alongside French conservative and far-right politicians. In a statement, the Jewish group called it a "moral fault, a diplomatic error and a political danger." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Macron isn't respecting his own engagements," said Unger. He noted that the French president earlier set still-unmet conditions for recognizing Palestinian statehood, including the release of Israeli hostages and the "demilitarization" of Hamas, an Islamist militant group which Israel, the European Union, the United States and others have designated as a terrorist organization. "That explains the Jewish community's anger and disappointment." Other prominent Jewish figures are also sharply critical. "It's an opportunistic decision," lawyer Arno Klarsfeld, son of famous Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld, told France's conservative CNews TV. "It cements the divorce with the Jewish community in France, considerably chills relations with Israel and the United States and reinforces Hamas." Not surprisingly, many of France's Muslim leaders and leftist parties have broadly saluted the president's move. "Mr. Macron's decision has been received with great satisfaction and joy," said Abdallah Zekri, vice president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith. "We hope it will translate to reality in September, without any preconditions." Few dispute that Macron's statehood declaration marks a diplomatic U-turn. Two weeks after the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, the French president was in Jerusalem pledging "unconditional support" for Israel, calling for an international coalition to fight Hamas. Last year, he led a ceremony for French victims of the Hamas assault, calling it "the largest antisemitic attack of our century." But Macron reportedly has been shaken by Gaza's escalating humanitarian crisis and Israel's ongoing military campaign. The conflict in Gaza has killed more than 62,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the enclave, and many currently suffer from widespread famine. In June, France shut down several Israeli weapons stands at the Paris Air Show for refusing to remove attack arms in their display, sparking Israeli fury. Then came Macron's announced intention to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized by saying it "rewards terror." Undeterred, France, along with Saudi Arabia, co-hosted a UN conference in New York on July 28 calling for a two-state solution. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Polls suggest that a majority of French people support the idea. But a June survey from the French Institute of Public Opinion, sponsored by CRIF, shows most first want the remaining Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attacks freed and Hamas to surrender as conditions. "The majority of French Jews aren't hostile to a two-state solution" under the right conditions, the Jewish council's Unger added. Most also "consider the situation in Gaza with tens of thousands of dead is awful," he said, even as they blame Hamas, not Israel, for the war. Like the CRIF, Pierre Stambul, who heads the small French Jewish Union for Peace, also criticizes Macron's statehood declaration but for different reasons. "It's total hypocrisy," he said. "What France is doing is nothing at all. Many states already recognize the state of Palestine." Rabbi Michel Serfaty, who has worked for years building interfaith ties, was noncommittal about Macron's announcement. "Let's see how our fellow Muslims will react," he said. "What interests many is just to live in peace." Events in the Middle East have long reverberated in France, where many of the country's roughly 500,000 Jews and up to 6 million Muslims hail from similar North African roots. Both Jews and Muslims have seen a spike in physical and verbal assaults since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Unger, of the CRIF, said antisemitic attacks have "multiplied by two or three. Before, they were verbal threats; now, they're physical ones. Rabbis have been attacked." The French Muslim Council's Zekri described a similar uptick. "Personally, I've received slices of ham in my mailbox, threats sent to my home," he said. Many Muslims, he added, also don't report such acts to the police. In the 19th arrondissement of Paris, home to some of the city's biggest Muslim and Jewish populations, many declined to be interviewed. A group of Hassidic men, chatting outside a religious book shop on a sunny afternoon, only acknowledged that relations were complex. "We're not looking for problems," one said. "We try to keep good relations with the Arabs." A few blocks away, Algerian businessman Karim Kata said the two communities "try to avoid politics." "We've known each other for a long time," he added, pointing out Jewish businesses nearby, including a kosher butchery employing Muslim workers. "We respect each other. Politics are politics. People are people." Iriqat, the Paris law student, moved to France four years ago and is no stranger to interfaith tensions. He describes slurs against him in the street and being targeted for joining pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which were initially banned over public order concerns. "It's difficult to hold any sign that tells that you are Palestinian," he recalled of the early protests that initially mainly drew Muslims. "To wear a kaffiyeh, to hold the Palestinian flag — it was very difficult." Soon, however, "we started to see a lot of French, even the Jewish community, the leftist Jews," Iriqat said. "I saw they began to feel sorry about what was happening." Born in the occupied West Bank, he still recalls the day Israeli soldiers shot dead one of his uncles as the man sat studying on the family's rooftop terrace. Iriqat was 4 years old at the time. "I remember every single thing — even the smell of the food my grandmother was cooking," he said. "I remember pieces of my uncle's brain on the stairs of our home." He hopes growing international pressure on Israel will eventually sway its biggest ally, the United States, to follow suit and ultimately destroy a system he describes as apartheid. "I'm dedicating my life to Palestine and the Palestinians," said Iriqat, who plans to remain in France and continue his studies. "When I'm fighting for Palestine," he adds, "I'm also fighting for the interests of the Israelis."
DW
2 days ago
- DW
EU court questions Italy's 'safe country' list for migrants – DW – 08/01/2025
While ruling Italy's plan to fast-track migrant deportations is legal, the European Court of Justice set out some limits. Those include disclosing sources for their assessment of a country being considered "safe." Judges at the European Union's top court ruled Friday that Italy can fast-track deportations of migrants to countries it designates as "safe" if it meets certain conditions. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) was asked if an accelerated asylum procedure, allowing officials to quickly return migrants from countries not facing war or significant crises, was permissible. EU countries are allowed to designate safe countries of origin to fast-track asylum procedures if authorities disclose the sources for their assessment, the court ruled. "The sources of information on which such a designation is based must be sufficiently accessible, both for the applicant and for the court or tribunal having jurisdiction," the EU's top court wrote. A second condition stipulated by the court is that a state can only be designated as a safe country of origin if it offers adequate protection to the entire population, including minorities. The Luxembourg-based court also said that while having a fast-track procedure does not violate EU law, the designation of safe countries must be subject to judicial scrutiny so migrants can challenge decisions made on their asylum claims. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the ECJ's ruling on the classification of safe countries of origin. She said the decision further restricted the already limited room for manoeuvre of governments. "This is a step that should worry everyone," Meloni said. "The court's decision weakens the policy to combat illegal mass immigration and to protect national borders." Two Bangladeshi nationals, who were rescued at sea last year by the Italian navy, were taken to a detention center in Albania. As Bangladesh is on a list of countries Italy considers safe, their claim for asylum was given a speedy assessment before being rejected. However, an Italian court held last year that migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt could not be immediately returned because those countries are not safe enough. Judges at the Rome District Court, which referred the case to Luxembourg, will have the final say in determining whether the procedure was correctly applied for the two Bangladeshi nationals. The fast-track process and detaining migrants at facilities in Albania were introduced by Meloni's government in an effort to curb the number of migrants entering the country. Both policies have faced intense criticism. Italian courts have ruled against the policies and referred several cases to the EU's top court in Luxembourg for clarification. Opposition politicians argue that the scheme is expensive, complicated, and detrimental to migrants' rights. A non-governmental delegation observing the process in Albania says it illegally deprives migrants of assistance with asylum claims.
