Migration researcher recommends a refugee center in Spain – dpa

M adrid / Rome / Berlin (dpa) – Migration researcher Gerald Knaus has proposed a reception center in Spain as a current measure in European refugee policy. "At the moment, more people arrive in Spain by sea than by Italy," says the Austrian political adviser at "Welt".

Knaus is considered the brain of the EU-Turkey refugee pact. drove the Aegean Sea and the so-called Balkan route.

"Why did Germany, France and the Netherlands have not established a reception center in Spain with Madrid?" Asked Knaus. As in the Netherlands, asylum decisions must be taken quickly and independent lawyers must receive fair trials. Recognized refugees could then be distributed in Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands. Those who are rejected must return immediately to the countries of origin.

For this, it would require agreements with the main countries of origin in Africa, said the president of the European Stability Initiative (ESI) founded in 1999 in Berlin. "If these help to immediately remove anyone who does not need protection from a deadline, legal migration quotas in the form of work visas or scholarships would be promised."

Knaus asked the federal government to take the initiative to solve the European migration problem. In Germany, there is "a majority for the support of really vulnerable people". This majority is currently seeking a policy that also promises control. "I see a chance for a breakthrough right now," said Knaus. This is the moment for a fresh start in refugee politics.

The influx of refugees into Spain now exceeds arrivals in Italy and Greece. From Friday to Sunday alone, the Spanish maritime rescue has secured more than 1,400 boat people off the country's south coast. Already last weekend, more than 1,000 refugees had been rescued and taken to Andalusian ports. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Spain has become the new main destination of illegal entry into the EU since the populist government in Rome forbids private maritime rescuers from entering the country. Enter the Italian ports.

The new Spanish government is Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pro-European, for relief services and human rights, says Knaus. "A plan that shows how to increase control, reduce irregular migration and preserve the rights of refugees – and this before the European elections of 2019 – would be in Madrid's interest."