Pressure will increase on countries along EU borders to stop migrants from reaching their most desired destinations, such as Germany and Austria, a Croatian legal expert said, ahead of an informal meeting of 16 EU countries in Brussels on migrants.

Since the big migrant crisis of 2015 and 2016, the EU has been unsuccessful in steering the flow of migrants, a lecturer at the Law Faculty, Goranka Lalic Novak, told N1.  

“Moreover, the Union has not managed to harmonize legislation with the procedures on the ground in its member countries,” she said.

This is why many refugees are heading toward countries with better migrant policies and already established communities of their countrymen, she explained.  

But one of the examples of lack of harmonization in member countries is the turning away of migrants. The informal meeting as well as the summit in Brussels will address the prevention of irregular migrations, she said.  

The EU is introducing several measures to prevent irregular migrations, such as a very strict visa regime, turning away migrants on enroute and at sea and various programs aimed to turn them back.  

Germany is the most popular destination among migrans but Angela Merkel’s “open door” policy has backfired on her at home and she has changed her narrative.

Now she is saying her country does not have the capacity for accepting more migrants and she is asking other member countries for solidarity, Lalic Novak said. Public opinion in Germany is leaning toward a stronger immigrant and asylum policy.