This set of tweets from the @EU_Commission pays no regard whatever to the EU’s own asylum law. Instead of following its own asylum laws, it is parroting far-right anti-refugee narratives. 1/
2/ It should be clear by now that the EU needs to start by defending its own law — otherwise, what is it for? This means as well as talking about securing borders, it also needs to talk about processing asylum applications
3/ The combination of both is essential to a civilised response. Yes, there needs to be order at the border, but there also needs to be acceptance of the basic values of the EU and the reasons it came into existence after WW2
4/ These include the right to seek asylum from persecution and have that case judged fairly and speedily. This should not be beyond the ability of a Union of 500 million people. The numbers are relatively small.
5/ Now, onto more political points.
6/ We know by now that simply repeating far right positions on migration and refugees normalises them rather than buying them off. This line from the Commission plays into the hands of people who would destroy it.
7/ That it has panicked in this way suggests a serious lack of competence at the senior levels of the commission. This is not good enough as a matter of communication. Nor is it good enough as a matter of institutional politics.
8/ The Commission wants to get a new package of measures through the Parliament, a majority of which wants to see EU asylum law upheld. This attitude will cause them to dig in.
9/ Finally, the commission needs to remember that it is supposed to enforce EU law. That includes the law that grants the right to asylum. It is not in a position to ignore its own legal basis.
