Priorities for Europe: tackling the migration crisis

The conflict in Syria and the instability in countries situated near the EU have led to a significant influx of migrants.

In 2016, 362,376 people fled to the EU by crossing the Mediterranean. Of these 5,022 are reported missing or dead.  Europe is working on different ways to manage migration better. Watch our video to find out more and read on for an overview of the main proposals coming up.

Reform of the Dublin system

 

In May 2016, the European Commission proposed reforming the Dublin system,which lays down criteria for determining which EU country is responsible for processing asylum seekers. The new rules set out to ensure a fairer sharing of this responsibility, with solidarity and swift processing of applications.


Swedish ALDE member Cecilia Wikström is preparing a report on it on behalf of the civil liberties committee, while the budgets and foreign affairs committees will present their opinions.


However, several EU countries have already said they oppose the Commission proposals.


Reception conditions

 

The EU wants to reform the reception conditions directive to ensure that all asylum applicants are received in a dignified manner and in a comparable conditions in all EU countries. The reformed directive would also stimulate self-sufficiency by granting more favourable conditions for access to the labour market.


Asylum procedures


The EU is also working to reform the aslym procedures directive in order to simplify, clarify and shorten asylum procedures. This would include stricter rules to combat abuse and harmonising rules on what are considered safe countries.

European Asylum Agency

 

MEPs support Commission proposals to boost the work of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). The new agency would be responsible for assessing all aspects of the common asylum policy, such as reception conditions, respect for procedural safeguards, the right to legal aid and access to interpretation, and the adequacy of financial and human resources.To help with this, it would be able to make unannounced on-site visits in the different EU countries.



Read our article on improving the European common asylum system.

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