The report by Tomas Tobé (EPP, Sweden) on the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation received a mixed reception in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) on Tuesday 26 October, with some MEPs saying they were unable to support it as it stands, notably in the S&D, Greens/EFA and The Left groups, while the ID and ECR groups were relatively satisfied (see EUROPE 12819/1).
Pietro Bartolo (S&D, Italy), Damien Carême (Greens/EFA, France), Cornelia Ernst (The Left, Germany), but also Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe, France), shadow rapporteurs on the dossier, criticised in particular the suppression of the solidarity mechanism for rescue and relief at sea, but also what they consider to be a strengthening of the Dublin criterion known as ‘first entry’, by tightening up the concept of siblings (family ties will have to be proven in a stricter manner, notably through DNA tests) or the withdrawal of the new criterion introduced by the Commission relating to diplomas or visas.
This last criterion would have made countries that were not on the frontline more automatically responsible for applying for asylum, but which did not necessarily please the so-called countries of secondary movement such as Germany, France, and Sweden.
The elected representatives of these groups said they were “surprised” and even “disappointed” by the rapporteur’s work after the meetings with him, who finally decided not to keep anything of Parliament’s 2017 position, which advocated automatic relocation.
“I understand that you don’t agree”, the Swede reacted, saying that he expected to have “strong opinions”. On Tuesday 26 October, the deadline for amendments was still 11 November, but it could be extended at the request of the same groups.
Among the dissatisfied, Ms Ernst wondered whether the rapporteur had the support of “his Italian, Greek, or Maltese EPP colleagues” and said she was “very disappointed” that the report, contrary to her expectations, would ultimately reinforce the current shortcomings of the Dublin system, i.e., the imbalance between countries of first entry and so-called secondary movement countries, shortcomings that the report will increase, she said.
“Our group is not satisfied”, Mr Bartolo commented directly, regretting in particular the deletion of the solidarity mechanism for people rescued at sea (which included a compulsory and automatic relocation modality between Member States, but which the rapporteur proposes be merged with the solidarity mechanism for pressure situations).
Ms Keller also deplored the deletion of the relocation obligation and will also make amendments on the subject of the first entry criterion, which she also considers has been strengthened.
The Swedish rapporteur had previously explained that he would reverse this country of first entry criterion and put the burden of proof on the countries designated as responsible by an asylum seeker (e.g., claiming family ties) to prove that they do not have to deal with the case. For the Swede, this will make it more difficult for these countries to pass the buck to the countries of first entry alone.
But on this last point, the ECR group said it was “difficult to see how this could work in practice”. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)