Friday

29th Mar 2024

MEPs back asylum rules overhaul

  • Hundreds of thousands of people flee their home countries each year to seek asylum elsewhere (Photo: mid.ru)

The European Parliament approved a series of proposals on Thursday (7 May) revising current EU asylum rules and introduced a 'solidarity clause' in order to assist member states that claim to be overburdened by asylum seeker demands.

"Our duty is to treat European Union citizens and asylum-seekers on an equal footing. It is a duty of the member states to make sure these people can come to the European Union and that they are guaranteed proper reception and living conditions," said Italian leftist MEP Giusto Catania.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The European Commission in December presented the asylum package that introduced changes to European legislation setting minimal standards at the point of arrival of asylum seekers on EU soil.

The package is also aimed at fighting arbitrary detention of asylum seekers and at making their access to member-state labour markets easier, notably by allowing them to work a maximum of six months after filing their request for asylum.

It changes rules defining which member state should deal with an asylum seeker's demands and alters a regulation covering the transfer of data about asylum seekers.

Currently, the so-called Dublin Regulation stipulates that the first EU member state that a migrant enters should be the one to examine his or her asylum application.

But the proposal backed by MEPs contains a provision under which asylum seekers should not be sent to member states that cannot offer them appropriate reception conditions and asylum procedure access.

It also boosts the asylum seekers' rights and introduces deadlines to make procedures quicker.

Welcoming the parliament's backing for the new rules, EU justice commissioner Jacques Barrot told MEPs: "We really need the European parliament to make [people] accept this asylum policy, which is a policy that is in compliance with our European values and which can indeed sometimes spark fears, criticism although all this is part of the humanitarian spirit and the humanitarian tradition of our continent."

Solidarity among member states

Under an amendment introduced by the parliament, a "solidarity" clause has been added to the package that would see member states taking in asylum seekers from those states that say they are overburdened. In addition, teams of national experts would be formed to assist those countries receiving a larger number of asylum applications, notably Malta, Italy and Greece.

Malta – a small island state of some 400,000 people in the Mediterranean Sea – has been facing particular difficulties in this respect, with many African migrants aiming to reach the EU by boat arriving on its soil.

More than half the 67,000 migrants who reached European Union nations by sea last year came ashore in Malta and Italy, according to United Nations figures.

"I know that what we have adopted today is resisted by some countries ... But it is time for them to realise that they can no longer expect just a couple of countries to shoulder a responsibility that belongs to all," Maltese Conservative MEP Simon Busuttil was quoted as saying by the Times of Malta.

"They can no longer express shock when boatloads of immigrants drift at sea but then turn a blind eye when it comes to hosting the immigrants who are saved," he added.

A proposal to set up a European Asylum Support Office that would allow member states to exchange information on countries beyond the EU and would help to training of staff involved in asylum issues was also approved.

According to data from the European commission, more than 220,000 asylum applications were lodged in the EU in 2007, mostly coming from Iraq, Russia, Turkey, Somalia, Iran and Serbia.

As of the end of 2007, worldwide there were more than 11 million people who had fled their home countries seeking asylum elsewhere.

EU seeks better rights for asylum seekers

EU countries should take better care of people who come to seek asylum, the European Commission said on Wednesday, unveiling a series of proposals aiming to make the current EU asylum rules better.

Cool reception to compulsory EU sharing of asylum 'burden'

Italy on Thursday called for "obligatory burden sharing" among EU member states when it comes to taking in asylum seekers, but the call has received a cool reaction by other member states. Rome has also drawn fire from human rights groups for forcibly returning hundreds of people intercepted in its territorial waters in May back to Libya.

EU Parliament set to sue EU Commission over Hungary funds

The European Parliament will likely take the European Commission to court for unblocking more than €10bn in funds for Hungary last December. A final nod of approval is still needed by European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola.

EU Commission clears Poland's access to up to €137bn EU funds

The European Commission has legally paved the way for Poland to access up to €137bn EU funds, following Donald Tusk's government's efforts to strengthen the independence of their judiciary and restore the rule of law in the country.

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Opinion

I'll be honest — Moldova's judicial system isn't fit for EU

To state a plain truth: at present, Moldova does not have a justice system worthy of a EU member state; it is riven with corruption and lax and inconsistent standards, despite previous attempts at reform, writes Moldova's former justice minister.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us