Brussels, 04/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - France has joined other member states and decided to suspend until further notice the deportation of asylum seekers to Greece, where their detention conditions flout human rights, explained AFP, quoting a letter from the former French immigration minister, Brice Hortefeux ,to the charity “France Terre d'Asile” just before he left the immigration ministry.
The Dublin Regulation stipulates that the country responsible for asylum issues is the one where the asylum seeker lodged his/her first request, and therefore authorises the deportation of asylum seekers country by country. On 21 January, however, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg found Greece guilty of inhumane treatment (detention conditions and living standards) of asylum seekers. Belgium was found guilty in the same ruling of deporting an Afghani to Greece in full knowledge of the Greek situation.
Following the ruling, Germany, Finland and Denmark announced that they were suspending the deportation of asylum seekers to Greece. Belgium, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Norway have joined them in halting the deportations.
In a press release, the French socialist delegation at the EP welcomed the French decision. Sylvie Guillaume, EP rapporteur on asylum procedures, said she hoped the continuation of the process, reform of the Dublin II Regulation, would now move in a different direction. The asylum legislation that the European Commission has prepared is in deadlock at the Council of Ministers, in part because the member states do not want the temporary suspension of deportation of asylum seekers to continue indefinitely, as the Commission is suggesting. (S.P./transl.fl)