On Thursday 12 June, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged European legislators “to strengthen the guarantees” in the Commission’s proposal amending the concept of ‘safe third countries’ in the Asylum Procedure Regulation (see EUROPE 13644/9), which will give Member States greater latitude to transfer asylum seekers to third countries they consider safe.
“UNHCR understands the difficulties countries face when asylum-seekers move from one country to another. In some situations, and with robust protective measures and guarantees in place, asylum-seekers may be transferred to a safe third country where they can access asylum procedures and receive the protection they need.”
But “any transfer of asylum seekers between countries is best based on a legally binding, public agreement which outlines state responsibilities in relation to the protection of those being transferred”.
The UNHCR also warns that the increase in transfers to ‘safe third countries’ risks weakening the right to seek asylum in the EU, and says it is “deeply concerned about the proposal to remove the automatic suspension of transfers while an appeal is pending”.
The UNHCR does, however, welcome certain elements. “Although not required under international law, UNHCR reiterates its position that a meaningful connection is the most sustainable and reasonable basis for transferring asylum-seekers to safe third countries – a position which the Commission took note of in the proposal.”
Link to position: https://aeur.eu/f/hb4 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)