'The use of the present asylum policy means we will fail!'
by Catherine MALLET
Reforming the Common European Asylum System…
The EU Affairs Office recently attended an event on current reforms of the Common European Asylum System. The Common European Asylum System provides common minimum standards for the treatment of all asylum seekers. It consists of a legal framework covering all aspects of the asylum process and a support agency. However, in practice, the current system leaves a lot of discretion to Member States, and as a result is still characterised by differing treatment of asylum seekers and varying recognition rates amongst EU Member States. In a recent event in the European Parliament Romanian MEP Renate Weber said ‘The use of the present asylum policy means we will fail!’
The European Commission has therefore set out steps reform the system with the aim of creating ‘a more humane, fair and efficient European asylum policy as well as a better managed legal migration policy’.
The Commission is proposing
- the establishment of a common EU asylum procedure for all applications for international protection by replacing the current Asylum Procedures Directive with a Regulation;
- ensuring maximum harmonisation of the standards for the qualification and content of protection for refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection by replacing the current Qualification Directive with a Regulation;
- a reform of the Reception Conditions Directive to further harmonise reception conditions of applicants for international protection in the EU.
During the event citizens advice charity from the UK the AIRE Centre highlighted that increasing displacement globally has driven the need to reform the system with 1.2 million first asylum claims in the EU in 2015 and about one million of those having arrived by sea. They were concerned that there is a general disregard for the rules and some EU Member States struggling to adhere to rules.
NGO Save the Children expressed their concern that the CEAS reforms take punitive approach.
They were highlighting that family reunification takes too long and in waiting for asylum people are often found by smugglers. Child detention is never acceptable they said and people should never be detained because of their of migration status.
The proposals also aim to reduce secondary movement and thus asylum seekers would receive a fine for having been in the wrong Member State and are sent back to the first… One positive aspect of the proposals is faster access to labour market and equal treatment with nationals.
The Salvation Army’s positional statement on refugees and asylum seekers is being shared at EU level and we continue to raise our concerns of the risk of trafficking as people become vulnerable waiting for asylum. If you are working on these issues and would like to share your thoughts with us, please get on contact with us by writing to cmallet@armeedusalut.be
Read more about the reforms here http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-16-2436_en.htm