Brussels, 18/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - Member states that volunteer to take in refugees from third countries should receive up to €6,000 per resettled person from the European Refugee Fund, the European Parliament states. This stance was taken when MEPs voted in Strasbourg, on Tuesday 18 May, with a view to sending a political signal before negotiating with the Council of Ministers, on the basis of a legislative report drafted by Rui Tavares (GUE/NGL, Portugal). The text was approved by 512 votes to 81 and 7 abstentions. The countries of the EU contribute far less to refugee resettlement than other developed countries such as the USA, Australia and Canada, Parliament states. The EU contributed only 6.7% of the global resettlement cost for refugees in 2008, with 4,378 individuals. The UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) estimates that 747,000 are in need of resettlement. To date, only 10 EU member states have taken part in any resettlement schemes.
In order to give member states more encouragement to take part in resettlement programmes, MEPs suggest member states applying for the first time should receive funding of €6,000 per person for the first year, €5,000 in the second year and €4,000 thereafter. The additional amount that newly participating member states receive for the first two years must be invested in developing a sustainable resettlement programme. When implementing the resettlement programme, MEPs want priority to go to children and women at risk of violence or exploitation, unaccompanied minors, persons with serious medical needs, and survivors of violence and torture, as well as persons threatened with forced return and victims of natural disasters.
The Council, for its part, hopes priorities will be established according to the geographical origin and nationality of the refugees. MEPs also said the new EU long-term budget (2013-2017) should include specific financial incentives for resettlement and provide financial support in favour of a more ambitious resettlement programme. A second report by Rui Tavares on a resolution relating to the principles that should underpin the resettlement programme was adopted by the Parliament.
During the debate before the vote, Tavares pointed out that, when it comes to resettlement, it was “urgent” to set a real resettlement policy in place in Europe. In his view, emphasis should mainly be placed on the quality of refugee resettlement. The European commissioner for home affairs, Cecilia Malmström, called for member states to coordinate their efforts in relation to the common resettlement programme. If member states cooperate amongst themselves and with the HCR, resettlement strategy will have more chance of success, she said. The establishment of annual priorities should make it possible to react in relation to the number of refugees. Speaking of the matter of delegated acts, Malmström said these can make the management of the European Refugee Fund more difficult and cause delays. For now, only 12 member states have joined the fund, bemoaned Georgios Papanikolau of Greece, speaking for the EPP, when it would be in everyone's interest to join as this would heighten the awareness of all those involved that “legal immigration is the right choice”. Some countries, he pointed out, are severely affected by illegal immigration, and solidarity with these countries is needed. Speaking on behalf of the S&D Group, Antonio Masip Hidalgo of Spain deplores this kind of “collective amnesia” saying that the Union countries have forgotten that they are jointly responsible for many wars that lie at the source of major refugee flows. He said the agreement between Commission and Parliament must not come up against the question of delegated acts. Funding made available must not disappear into the depths of national budgets, said Nadja Hirsch of Germany, on behalf of the ALDE. These funds should, she says, be distributed to the municipalities, which have better planning capacity and work on the ground. One should not be too pleased with oneself, warns Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA, France), as the money available would only allow the resettlement of some tens of thousands of persons, when estimates are for 470,000 refugees. Pointing a finger at her own country, she also denounces “mediation of isolated resettlement cases, hiding the huge number of bad practices”. Simon Busuttil (EPP, Malta) was “very surprised” that the EU does not yet have a real European resettlement programme after the fashion of other countries, and said this proposal showed that the EU was finally willing to show solidarity. In his view, the programme will also serve to reduce illegal immigration and the loss of life at sea. Agustín Díaz De Mera (EPP, Spain) also called for intra-European solidarity and for caution when it comes to funding granted to states that have never carried out resettlement.
The European Parliament also approved a report in second reading on the creation of the European Asylum Support Office, based in Valletta (Malta). The office will lend its expertise to member states receiving asylum seekers. It will seek to strengthen cooperation among national authorities and afford administrative support to member states subject to particular pressure. The Parliament and Council agreed at second reading to assign the office the task of coordinating information exchange on resettlement measures carried out by member states. Finally, the European Refugee Fund is to be amended to ensure that it is adequately funded. MEPs will be examining a report by Claude Moraes (S&D, UK) on this matter on Wednesday 19 May. (B.C./L.G./transl.jl)