Under the plans aimed at moving towards a "sustainable and fair" system, member states who refuse to take part in the refugee relocation quotas — known as a "fairness mechanism" implemented during times of high migrant arrivals — would be fined the lofty sum of US$285,000 (€250,000) for every person refused asylum.
As expected, a number of member states, headed by the Visegrad group of Central European countries, have rejected the idea of refugee quotas, with the new plans described as "blackmail" by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, while Slovakian Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said the plans do "not respect the reality".
Today we take concrete steps towards a more coordinated migration, mobility & border policy. https://t.co/PBaeLq1eRP pic.twitter.com/RjysfsFMrJ
— DimitrisAvramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) 4 May 2016
While predicting future migrant flows into the EU is increasingly difficult, Sputnik has calculated how much member states would stand to pay, based on the European Commission's September proposals, which called for member states to take in a total of 160,000 refugees across the bloc.
Hungary and Slovakia have opened legal action against the EU over the issue of migrant quotas, while the two countries were joined by the Czech Republic and Romania in voting against the September proposals.
Czech Republic
Existing refugee quota (based on September proposals): 2,687.
Potential fine under new proposals: $US768 million (€672 million).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014: US$205 billion.
Potential fine as percentage of GDP: 0.37 percent.
Hungary
Existing refugee quota (based on September proposals): 1,294.
Potential fine under new proposals: US$370 million (€323.5 million).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014: US$138 billion.
Potential fine as percentage of GDP: 0.27 percent.
Poland
Existing refugee quota (based on September proposals): 6,192.
Potential fine under new proposals: US$1.77 billion (€1.55 billion).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014: US$545 billion.
Potential fine as percentage of GDP: 0.32 percent.
Romania
Existing refugee quota (based on September proposals): 4,145.
Potential fine under new proposals: US$1.17 billion (€1.03 billion).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014: US$199 billion.
Potential fine as percentage of GDP: 0.587 percent.
Slovakia
Existing refugee quota (based on September proposals): 902.
Potential fine under new proposals: US$258 million (€225.5 million).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014: US$100 billion.
Potential fine as percentage of GDP: 0.26 percent.
