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Finland minister says giving up Dublin system "risky"

Xinhua, January 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Finnish Minister of the Interior Petteri Orpo said on Wednesday that giving up the so called Dublin system in the European Union (EU) is risky.

"Something comparable should be available to replace it," he said. "When Dublin worked, it was a key element of the freedom of movement in Europe."

He commented on the plans within the EU Commission to give up the Dublin decree. Under the Dublin system, an asylum seeker can be returned to the EU country that he or she first enters.

Orpo said that surveillance of outer EU borders should be made to function first. Thereafter it would be possible to make Dublin function again. He singled out particularly the border control in Greece. He mentioned also the upcoming arrangement between Greece and Turkey to control movement of people via Turkey to the EU.

The Finnish minister said there is no use talking about a new system prior to stopping the leaks in the outer borders. He said a distribution system of asylum seekers would only increase the volume.

He reminded that Finland is the fourth largest recipient of asylum seekers in the EU in proportion to the population base.

"In most European countries the numbers have been small. This real acceptance of responsibility must be taken into account in future decisions," Orpo said.

Orpo envisioned that if the problem is not solved, the countries now accepting the highest numbers of arrivals will start taking decisions serving their own interests.

"When the weather in the Mediterranean improves, a new pressure of immigration towards Europe is expected. If decisions cannot be applied this winter, the Dublin system and the Schengen agreement are in great danger," Orpo said. Endit