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Report on the future of the European Common Asylum System

Document number
2032
Date
2009
Title
Report on the future of the European Common Asylum System
Author/publisher
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, European Parliament, European Union (EU)
Availability
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Document type(s)
Meeting Documentation/Conference Reports,
Keywords
(2008/2305(INI)), Rapporteur: Giusto Catania, A6-0050/2009
Summary
On 9 March, the European Parliament (EP) adopted an own-initiative report drafted by Giusto Catania (GUE/NL) on the future of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). The EP stresses that although the legislative instruments relating to the first phase of the establishment of the CEAS have allowed the introduction of common minimum standards there are no equal conditions of access to protection throughout the EU.  In particular, the report claims that the Dublin system results in ‘a disproportionate burden being imposed on some Member States, in particular on those representing the external EU borders'. The report also holds that one of the objectives of the CEAS should be to set up effective solidarity mechanisms in order to improve the situation of countries with the greatest flows of asylum seekers. Furthermore, the EP calls on the Commission to table a proposal for a revision of the mandate of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the EU Member States (Frontex) in order to explicitly state that protection and human rights concerns are an integral part of the management of the EU external borders. MEPs regret that the concept of the institution of asylum, an essential part of democracy and protection of human rights, has been severely eroded in recent years. (Source: ECRE Weekly newsletter)
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