Immigration: EU must punish 'hostile' states, not migrants, report says

This EU agency based in Vienna, Austria, has been examining how the EU should manage the influx of migrants exploited by governments seeking to destabilize the bloc. States, it points out, have an obligation to register applications, which must be treated individually and take into account people with specific needs. According to the FRA, "migrants are often unaware that they are being used," and the EU has the means to combat this "hybrid threat" thanks to its legislation. For example, it can "restrict visas for people from countries orchestrating this migration" or "revoke the licenses of transport companies" that are too lax.

It must also "effectively implement" and "within a few weeks" the return of rejected asylum seekers, in order to render this political pressure ineffective. The Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will come into force in mid-2026, should help speed up procedures.

"This is essential for the credibility of the EU asylum system," the agency believes, while currently, less than 20% of expulsion decisions are implemented within the bloc. The FRA believes that fundamental rights are endangered by the increasing "militarization" of the EU's external border, with defense management falling under the sole competence of the Member States, and draws a harsh assessment of the Twenty-Seven's management of recent crises .

Poland, for example, passed legislation last year allowing soldiers and police officers to use firearms at the border. In Greece, 103 illegal immigrants were sentenced to prison after being incited by Turkey to cross the border in 2020. The proceedings involved "unaccompanied minors" and led to the "separation of families." Lithuania continues to apply a state of emergency after Belarus orchestrated an influx of people from Africa and the Middle East in late 2021.