EU Agrees Tougher Rules for Irregular Migrants

File photo: Migrants disembark from rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 as they arrive at the port of Catania, Italy, January 31, 2019. (File Photo: Reuters)
File photo: Migrants disembark from rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 as they arrive at the port of Catania, Italy, January 31, 2019. (File Photo: Reuters)
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EU Agrees Tougher Rules for Irregular Migrants

File photo: Migrants disembark from rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 as they arrive at the port of Catania, Italy, January 31, 2019. (File Photo: Reuters)
File photo: Migrants disembark from rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 as they arrive at the port of Catania, Italy, January 31, 2019. (File Photo: Reuters)

EU leaders have agreed tougher rules aimed at making it easier to expel asylum-seekers whose refugee applications are denied, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Friday.

The measures are a response to increasing European concern over rising irregular immigration that has become a hot-button issue in several member countries, AFP said.

That problem is "a European challenge that requires a European response," EU leaders said in a final document at the end of a 16-hour summit looking at that and other topics.

The low numbers of failed asylum-seekers being returned to their home countries is a central preoccupation for the European Union.

The bloc is already hosting millions of refugees from conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan, while facing asylum claims from citizens of safer countries such as Bangladesh, Türkiye and Tunisia, many of whom end up being deemed economic migrants ineligible for asylum.

Von der Leyen said "pilot projects" relying on the EU's border patrol, asylum and police cooperation agencies would look to instill "fast and fair asylum procedures" at the bloc's external borders.

The EU leaders called on the commission "to immediately mobilize substantial EU funds" to reinforce that external border with "protection capabilities and infrastructure, means of surveillance, including aerial surveillance, and equipment," according to the summit document.

That decision came after some EU countries, notably Austria, had pushed the commission to pay for reinforced fences designed to keep irregular migrants crossing from neighboring non-EU nations such as Türkiye.

Von der Leyen has repeatedly said EU funds would not pay for fences.

But EU officials and diplomats pointed out that, if Brussels paid for cameras, watch towers and other infrastructure along the external border, that would free up countries to pour their national budgets into paying for fences.

The summit also reached agreement on a "principle" under which one EU country can use a court decision in another EU member state to return an irregular migrant to their home country.

That would try to prevent "asylum shopping" whereby migrants go to a different country to apply to stay after being turned down in an initial one.

The EU leaders also agreed "to increase the use of the safe-country concepts" that will open the way to the bloc formulating a common list, von der Leyen said.



EU's Costa: Israel's Gaza Plan 'Must Have Consequences for EU-Israel Relations'

Palestinians walk along a street near war-damaged buildings along the shore in Gaza City on August 8, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians walk along a street near war-damaged buildings along the shore in Gaza City on August 8, 2025. (AFP)
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EU's Costa: Israel's Gaza Plan 'Must Have Consequences for EU-Israel Relations'

Palestinians walk along a street near war-damaged buildings along the shore in Gaza City on August 8, 2025. (AFP)
Palestinians walk along a street near war-damaged buildings along the shore in Gaza City on August 8, 2025. (AFP)

Israel's decision to take over Gaza City "must have consequences for EU-Israel relations", EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Friday, adding that this will be assessed by the Council and that he urged the Israeli government to reconsider. 

"Not only (does the decision) violate the agreement with the EU announced by the High Representative on July 19 but also undermines fundamental principles of international law and universal values," Costa, who heads the European Council that represents EU member states, added in his statement on X.  

Earlier, Belgium's foreign minister on Friday summoned the Israeli ambassador citing Israel's announced plan to occupy Gaza City and take military control of the Gaza Strip.  

In a statement, the ministry said Belgium wanted to "express (its) total disapproval of this decision, but also of the continued colonization ... and the desire to annex the West Bank," adding that it will "vigorously advocate" for a reversal of this decision.  

"Following the official confirmation by the Israeli government of its intention to encircle and then occupy Gaza City and take military control of the entire Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has decided to summon the Israeli Ambassador," it said. 

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said his country considers a plan by Israel to take over Gaza City “a risky step.” 

Lipavsky said the Czechs believe that Israel will take all necessary steps to protect the civilian population and will act in line with international law while the release of all hostages and a lasting ceasefire remain priorities. 

He said the only way of reaching a long-term peace is a two-state solution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. 

“The condition for that to happen is that Gaza will not be ruled by the terrorists from Hamas, which is a position shared by Czechia, Israel and a number of Arab countries in the region," Lipavsky said in comments to the state-owned CTK news agency. 

The Czech Republic has been one of Israel's biggest allies in the EU.