The Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) will discuss on Thursday 14 November how to move forward in the field of asylum, while the reform of the European system, which began in 2016, is currently at a standstill and the European Court of Auditors noted on Wednesday 13 November that the aid mechanisms for Greece and Italy via the relocations set up after 2015 had barely relieved both countries.
This discussion by senior officials is part of the debate launched in July by the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which should make it possible to keep the subject on the agenda while awaiting the new proposals promised on the subject by the President-elect of the European Commission.
In July, the Presidency identified the principles of responsibility (the duration of responsibility for an asylum seeker), the use of border procedures, the concept of solidarity, secondary movements and the concept of safe non-Member States and the link between the common asylum system and the proper functioning of the Schengen area as the main obstacles.
Another discussion took place in October, during which senior officials concluded that only one Member State should be responsible for an asylum application, that Member States should ensure access to protection and that a Member State under migratory pressure should be assisted. Any deficiencies in the current regime should also be addressed at European level, according to a summary given in a Presidency note of 4 November.
While all Member States agree that a new impetus must be given to the reform of the asylum system, there is a need to agree on the degree of harmonisation at European level to achieve objectives such as efficient asylum procedures, a functioning return mechanism and a functional Schengen area. Indeed, it is not realistic to harmonise everything and more pragmatic and not necessarily legislative solutions must be able to continue, according to this note.
While migratory pressure towards the EU is “unlikely to decrease”, the document states, officials will be asked, on 14 November, among other things, to identify the appropriate level of harmonisation on the specific subject of asylum procedures.
In what form and to what extent is harmonisation possible with regard to accelerated procedures, the use of border procedures, shorter processing times and the rationalisation/centralisation of the process between asylum applications and return decisions? They will also discuss the form that a mechanism to assist a country under pressure should take, once the emergency relocation system has failed.
“The discussions that have taken place so far indicate that we must provide Member States with targeted support to help Member States under pressure” and “inhibit, as soon as possible and effectively, in a preventive manner, potential emerging crisis situations”. However, the timing of this aid mechanism and the type of support provided have yet to be identified. These are all points that will therefore be brought to the attention of officials on 14 November. On the same day, another EU Council group will focus more specifically on the challenges of the Central Mediterranean migration route. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)