Spotlight: European Parliament votes in favor of changing Dublin rule on migration

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), meeting for a plenary session in Strasbourg, voted on Thursday in favor of a resolution on a new emergency relocation proposal for an increased number of asylum seekers.

The MEPs backed a permanent plan modifying the Dublin regulations, a rule which determines which member state of the European Union (EU) is responsible for the handling of individual asylum requests.

On Tuesday, the parliamentarians had already overwhelmingly adopted an emergency relocation plan for 40,000 asylum seekers to be distributed between EU countries. Based on proposals by the European Commission which were presented on Wednesday by its President Jean-Claude Juncker, Thursday's measures concerned approximately 120,000 refugees who had already arrived in Europe after having fled conflicts in their countries of origin, with a large majority coming from Syria.

The MEPs voted in favor of a permanent mechanism which implies a change in the Dublin regulations, which until now has required asylum requests be made in the countries of first arrival in the EU, before asylum seekers can be authorized to travel to other member states. This arrangement has put disproportional and increasing pressure on countries which serve as the most common ports of entry for migrants, such as Greece, Italy and Hungary.

The Parliament would like EU member states to receive refugees from third countries on the basis of a mandatory resettlement program. It has asked for a "fair, compulsory allocation key" and insists that integration programs, individual cases and the general needs of asylum seekers be taken into consideration.

The MEPs further affirmed their will to work on the legislative propositions "so as to ensure that member states do not delay the permanent relocation scheme" with the goal of creating global and firm policy on migration and asylum.

They also insisted on the necessary steps to be taken by the EU and its member states to create "safe and legal avenues for refugees," such as humanitarian corridors and visas.

The Parliamentarians judged, in fact, that a modification of visa rules was necessary in order to establish "more specific common provisions on humanitarian visas." They urged member states to do all that was in their power to make it possible to apply for asylum at their respective embassies and consular offices.

Regarding the EU list of safe countries of origin, which promises to be the subject of tense debate, the Parliament insisted in its resolution that this step should not compromise the non-refoulement principle or the individual right to asylum, particularly for people who belong to vulnerable groups.

President Juncker, during his first State of the Union address delivered on Wednesday, dedicated significant time to the migrant crisis, having taken care to place emphasis on this point in declaring: "We will neutralize nothing in the Geneva Convention. Asylum is a right and will remain one."

The MEPs in their resolution demanded with insistence that the common European asylum system not be put in place in order to guarantee the application of "consistent and humane standards" throughout the EU.

The Parliament also reaffirmed its commitment to "open borders within the Schengen area," while underlining the necessity to ensure effective management of external borders.

It also raised the issue of the deep causes of the migration problem, insisting that they needed to be tackled and made the main topic at the Valletta summit scheduled to be held Nov. 11 and 12 in Malta.

The text of the resolution also stressed the need for rigorous criminal sanctions against human trafficking and smuggling networks.

Finally, the Parliament requested that the Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, hold an international conference on the refugee crisis, with the participation of the EU, its member states, United Nations agencies, the United States, relevant international NGOs and the Arab states, with the objective of establishing a common global humanitarian aid strategy. Endit