Berlin (dpa) – Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has described the agreement on a reform of the European asylum system as “urgently needed and long overdue”. Given the freedom of movement in Europe, reliable rules were needed for everyone, the Minister said: “Humanity and order are the guardrails that apply to everyone.”
The reform was previously signed by representatives of the EU member states and the European Parliament. For the first time, the EU states were obliged to show solidarity, ensuring European distribution of migrants in future, stressed Baerbock. She also said that Germany had had to make compromises: “Germany was unable to assert its position with regard to the blanket exemption of children and families from border procedures.”