Pros and Cons of the quota system

It is obvious that more and more immigrants are flooding into Europe; the problem is that no one has offered a valid solution for what to do with this problem yet. The quota system that is highly praised by Angela Merkel has its upsides and downsides; the aim of this article is to briefly analyse the pros and cons of this idea.

The basis of the quota system is that based on the size and population of a country, a certain number of immigrants would be relocated to other European countries. This currently means that 54 000 immigrants would be transported from Hungary to other European countries. The problem is that immigrants do not stay in Hungary; they move to other countries as soon as possible. Also, it’s almost impossible to tell how many immigrants are in Hungary or in Europe; many of them refuses to identify themselves, and were not registered at all, as in the case of Greece. Thousands of people are wandering around in Europe without any papers at all.

In theory, two lists would be created – one for those countries which are highly dangerous, and one for those which are safe. People from danger zones would be automatically registered and be investigated, while those from the safe zones would be automatically declined and labelled as economic migrants. Those who are accepted would be placed in another country based on their qualifications, their knowledge of languages, and their ties to the target country (if they have any). Receiving countries would be also ranked based on their economy, their rate of unemployment, and their exposure to immigration.

The problem with this system is the growing number of immigrants. Europe would be divided into registered and unregistered immigrants and it would be hard to follow who migrated and where. Also, investigating each and every immigrant’s case, their background, and then begin negotiations with the target country – it would soon become a never ending story.

It is not a coincidence that most immigrants wish to settle down in Germany; it’s among the most prosperous countries in Europe. But this is not the only reason why thousands of immigrants are targeting the country; the real reason is that not only Germany a rich and prosperous country, the other available countries (such as Hungary) are nowhere close to Germany regarding their economy, their social system, or their GDP. Although the EU currently has 28 members, they are not on the same level. Why would somebody choose a weaker country, when they can choose one of the strongest ones in Europe?

The biggest and most important problem with the quota system is that it relies entirely on theory; it does not take the human factor into account. No one can be forced to move and live in a country they don’t want to, and punishing them for leaving is foolish and goes against human rights. Of course, the European Commission has a solution for that problem, which would work – in theory; because once an immigrant is granted refugee status, they are free to move within the Schengen border. The EC would introduce different sanctions (constantly monitoring immigrants if they stay in the appointed country, banning them from Germany if they illegally cross the border multiple times etc.), but it all takes time, and resources.

This is exactly what Europe doesn’t have: time. More and more immigrants are entering the European Union every day; and the final version of the quota system is planned to be available at the end of 2015. By then, a lot more people’s situation should be examined, and it has to be decided where they would be moved, if they can be moved at all.

written by Adrienn Sain

Photo: MTI

Source: Daily News Hungary