22/02/2023 (Agence Europe) – The Commission registered, on Wednesday 22 February, a new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled “Ensuring a dignified reception of migrants in Europe”, says a statement. The organisers, in this case the city and metropolis of Rennes, France, call on the Commission to “develop a new system for the (voluntary) distribution of asylum seekers throughout the EU, while ensuring effective solidarity between Member States” via a compulsory solidarity mechanism. They call for binding EU-wide reception standards for asylum seekers in terms of food, health, housing, education and work. “In 2020, almost 80% of first asylum applications were made in Greece, Italy and Spain. This imbalance leads to the persistence of undignified situations: overcrowded camps on the Greek islands or summary expulsions contrary to international law”, explain the authors. Link to the ECI: https://aeur.eu/f/5gh (SP)