Brussels, 13/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - In a declaration adopted on 9 December, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and the Population of the Parliamentary Committee of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed its concern at the very frequent use, in Europe, of accelerated procedures to send back asylum seekers. The Committee on Migration feels that the directive of 1 December on asylum procedures (EUROPE 9080) contextualises and legitimises the dubious practices of many European States. These provisions, particularly the special border procedures and the possibility of sending those involved back to safe third countries, may compromise the rights of asylum seekers.
On Human Rights Day, on 10 December, a Committee called upon the Member States of the Council of Europe "to reverse the trend of putting speed before fairness on asylum procedures". This concern had already been put forward in a resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly last October, on accelerated asylum procedures in the member states of the Council of Europe.