Brussels, 11/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's latest proposals concerning the reform of the Dublin Regulation on the asylum rules enjoyed a moderately warm welcome at the European Parliament on Wednesday 11 May.
Most of those who took the floor said that the proposal on the table is a good starting point, but that the Commission should have gone further. Others said that the proposal would not create more solidarity between the member states.
On Wednesday 4 May, the Commission proposed creating a corrective mechanism for the current Dublin system, which determines the responsibilities of the member states in managing asylum applications (see EUROPE 11546). This mechanism would offset the shortcomings of the principle of 'country of first entry', which the Commission has decided to keep in the regulation. It would consist of a relocation mechanism from one country to the other member states in the event that the asylum system of the country of first entry became overwhelmed. Countries not wishing to relocate additional asylum seekers would then have to pay a contribution to the host country in the order of €250,000 per asylum seeker.
In the view of Roberta Metsola (EPP, Malta), author of a report on migration policies in the EU (see EUROPE 11530), this reform constitutes “progress”, particularly the corrective mechanism, which could help to reduce problems of inequality between the member states. However, the alternative financial contributions proposed will allow certain countries to “purchase good conduct” and constitute a form of “provocation”, she said. “It shows that some are a very long way from being up to it; it is not the best way to achieve true solidarity”, the Metsola lamented.
The S&D Group feels that the reform falls a long way short of responding to the necessary ambition and only changes the current system marginally. Criticising the fact that the reform maintains the basic principle of 'country of first entry', France's Sylvie Guillaume describe it as a “patch-up job”, and regretted the fact that the Commission has decided on relocation criteria which have already failed to prove their worth in other relocation mechanisms.
Cecilia Wikström (ALDE, Sweden), who will be the Parliament rapporteur on this dossier, said the proposal is certainly a “good starting point”, but “we are going to reinforce it considerably”. In particular, she expressed opposition to the rules on “transferring unaccompanied minors to the four corners of the EU like ping-pong balls”. Jean Lambert (Greens/EFA, UK) said that the text on the table “will not go through” as it stands, criticising the fact that it does not take sufficient account of the “needs” of asylum seekers. “There will need to be an in-depth revision” of the proposals, she predicted. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)