Bratislava, 07/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 7 July, the European Parliament's civil liberties committee (LIBE) took a position on the method to be followed with regard to the future European list of so-called safe countries of origin, whose nationals will not be considered as being in danger and will therefore find it difficult to claim asylum in the EU, in line with what the Commission wanted. The Commission presented this draft list last September. The list of safe countries should enable the member states to handle these files more quickly, which most of them moreover already do.
The MEPs did not, however, give a decision on the countries to be included on this list, refusing to do so until the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has delivered its analysis of the situation in the countries that the Commission had suggested in September (the Western Balkans and Turkey).
On Thursday, the MEPs asked for this European list to replace the national lists in three years. The Commission will assess the countries which should be included, removed or temporarily suspended from the list. The application of the safe countries of origin concept does not in any way remove the requirement to carry out an appropriate individual assessment of the relevant asylum applications, including offering asylum applicants a personal interview and, following the European Parliament's amendments, an automatic suspensive effect of appeals, says rapporteur Sylvie Guillaume (S&D, France).
EASO, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and NGOs will also be able to take part in the Commission's work assessing the so-called safe countries.
The European Commission will furthermore be tasked with regularly assessing the situation in the countries on the list and in those that are suspended. It will also decide, under the Parliament's scrutiny, on the temporary suspension of a country in the event of a sudden deterioration of the situation there.
The concept of safe country of origin will not be applied in the cases of candidates belonging to a minority or to a group of people that remain at risk in the light of the situation in the country of origin concerned. Accelerated or border procedures cannot be applied to unaccompanied minors originating from a safe country of origin unless they received “adequate support”, the amended text states.
The Parliament and Council will start negotiating this part of the method for the European list in September. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)