EU adopts sweeping overhaul of asylum and migration rules

EU adopts sweeping overhaul of asylum and migration rules

Subject: IR

Section: Int grouping

Context:

• The European Parliament has passed a significant overhaul of the EU’s asylum and migration rules, a reform that has been nearly ten years in the making.

Details:

• This pact encompasses regulations and policies aimed at addressing responsibility for migrants and asylum seekers upon their arrival and the obligation of EU countries to assist.
• Critics argue that the pact fails to solve the issues it aims to address and undermines the individual’s right to seek asylum in Europe.

The  EU Migration and Asylum Pact:

• It first came in 2015.
• The main issue to be resolved through this pact is how to manage the entry of thousands of people without authorisation, as it hardens border procedures and forces all the bloc’s 27 nations to share responsibility.
  • The pact will speed up the asylum process and return of irregular migrants to their home countries.
• Under the pact, the 27 EU member states are expected to take in thousands of migrants from “frontline” countries like Italy, Spain and Greece.
• If they fail to do that they are obligated to help their EU partners by offering to house people eligible for asylum or, failing that, to pay the costs of lodging them elsewhere.
• The new rules include controversial measures: facial images and fingerprints could be taken from children aged six and people may be detained during screening. 
• Fast-track deportation could be used on those not permitted to stay. Another contentious measure is sending asylum seekers to countries outside the EU that are deemed “safe” if a person has some ties to that country.
• The reforms also propose faster processing at the borders with new procedures to establish status swiftly on arrival. Migrants would find out within five days whether they could stay in Europe or have to leave with the help of a “screening” procedure on entry. This includes identity, security and health checks and fingerprinting.
• The new rules aim to deal with asylum requests within 12 weeks and in case of rejection, asylum seekers would have to be returned forcibly to their home country within the same period

Source: TH