On Thursday 9 January, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published recommendations for the year 2020 for the Member States and, in particular, the Croatian and then German Presidencies of the Council of the EU.
As the von der Leyen Commission announced a new Pact on Asylum and Migration for the spring, UNHCR is calling first and foremost for the EU to put in place an effective and sustainable European asylum system that guarantees access to EU territory for people seeking protection.
Shared responsibility with EU Member States receiving a disproportionate number of asylum applications is necessary to ensure a truly common and sustainable asylum system, argues the agency, which encourages Presidencies to take forward work on an effective solidarity mechanism, including through resettlement schemes.
Asylum procedures must also be improved and accelerated for profiles of applicants who are clearly not eligible for protection.
Detention of asylum-seekers should not become a “routine practice”, the UN agency wrote. Support for the integration of migrants and refugees and the accompaniment of returnees should also be strengthened.
Among other recommendations, UNHCR calls on Member States to strengthen their efforts to support peace in countries with large populations.
Link to recommendations: https://bit.ly/36B1pUY (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)