The new German Council’s presidency has exposed its views regarding the European migration and asylum policy in the paragraph of the German’s presidency programme called “A Europe of security and common value”.

The German Presidency expects an ambitious reform of the Common European Asylum System to be adopted, based on the Commission’s proposals, in order to update the regulations  on  responsibilities  and  solidarity,  while complying  with  humanitarian  standards,  and avoiding overburdening  individual  Member  States.

The German Presidency asserts that it will be “guided in this task by European values, rule-of-law and humanitarian standards”. The programme evokes priority given to voluntary resettlement, alongside a mitigation of the cause of displacement and irregular migration and the will to strengthen the Frontex mandate. The Presidency also expects to introduce a mandatory procedure on  the  EU’s  external borders to  “categorise and assess asylum applications in preliminary proceedings at an early stage and to refuse entry into the EU where it  is  evident  that  no  need  for  protection  exists”. On the other hand, legal migration opportunities are foreseen for workers from third countries to tackle the shortage of skilled workers.”

Read the full programme of the German presidency here.