Overview
- In early July the European People's Party adopted a Vienna resolution and submitted a paper to the European Commission asking it to examine tougher asylum measures at EU external borders.
- The proposals would let states turn away people who come via a so‑called 'safe third country', permit refusals where migrants are judged to be 'instrumentalized' by third states, and press to abolish the EU subsidiary protection status.
- German CDU/CSU figures including Detlef Seif and statements by EVP leaders say the CDU helped shape the text and urged rapid Commission action, framing the changes as necessary to limit inflows.
- Legal experts warn that blanket pushbacks or transfers to third countries without at least short individual checks would likely clash with European Court of Human Rights precedent and prompt court challenges.
- Next steps require a Commission initiative and political agreement among member states, with likely debates over definitions of 'safe third country' and who may declare 'instrumentalization', and practical effects for the roughly 381,000 people in Germany with subsidiary protection.