News Analysis: EU common asylum system reform will be challenging

With regard to the latest proposals raised by the European Commission on the reform of the Common European Asylum System, which aimed to realize a fair and sustainable system for allocating asylum applicants among European Union (EU) member states, some experts acknowledged the necessity of the reform while doubting the outlook of the implementation.

FAIR SHARING OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The European Commission on Wednesday put forward two possible visions for the future of the EU's Dublin regulation, which determines where asylum applications should be made.

One vision is a complete overhaul of the system which would see automatic and mandatory redistribution of applicants around the EU. The other vision said the principles underpinning Dublin should remain the same, with better implementation and assistance for those countries on the front line.

"Different national approaches have fuelled asylum shopping and irregular migration, while we have seen in the ongoing crisis that the Dublin rules have placed too much responsibility on just a few member states," said European Commission first Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

Timmermans noted that the refugee crisis has shown the weaknesses in the Common European Asylum System, which was established on the basis of the Dublin System.

According to a Commission press release, the reform proposals are going to deal better with a high number of arrivals and ensure a fair sharing of responsibility.

The Dublin regulation establishes the criteria and mechanisms for determining which EU member state is responsible for examining an asylum application. The rules aim to ensure quick access to asylum procedure and the examination of an application in substance by a single, clearly determined, member state, an objective which remains valid.

The Dublin system, however, was not designed to ensure a sustainable sharing of responsibilities for asylum applicants across the EU, a shortcoming that has been highlighted by the current crisis.

REFORM NECESSARY

"The unrestrained migration flow has caused tensions in many Member States. We have to come back to law and order in asylum policy. The different procedures for dealing with asylum applications across Member States have further worsened the problem of irregular secondary movements. Europe needs more cooperation within a fairer common asylum system," said Manfred Weber, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament,.

"The fact that we in Europe use different standards for asylum recognition is unacceptable. More solidarity and fair burden-sharing of the distribution of asylum seekers are very important," he said.

Timothy Kirkhope, home affairs spokesman for European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, upheld that there is no need to create a new system to replace the Dublin system, as the principles underpinning Dublin should remain the same, with better implementation and assistance for those countries on the front line.

"Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel we need the system that we have in place to work more effectively, with clarity on states' responsibilities and support for those facing the largest number of arrivals," he said.

"The commission is right to send out a strong signal that asylum seekers cannot move freely across Europe. Refuge is intended to protect people from persecution and death, and the system will never work if refugees keep moving back to the one or two countries of their choice," he added.

Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the European Liberals and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, said that the overhaul of the Dublin agreement is an essential step.

"It is unlikely the EU-Turkey agreement will reduce the numbers of migrants and refugees' arriving in Europe, so now is the time to finally put in place a workable European system to manage this crisis in a legal and humane way," he said.

REFORM TO BE CHALLENGING

"I have no doubt that agreeing reforms will be challenging, but the EU simply has no choice. It is unlikely the European Union will be able to survive the status quo. I would urge the Commission to now move quickly and produce a fast-tracked legislative proposal as soon as possible," said Verhofstadt.

As a matter of fact, it will still be a long way to go from raising the reform proposals to the implementation.

EU media reports had that the options are expected to be discussed among member states' interior ministers on April 21 in Luxembourg. The European Commission is to come forward with a formal legal proposal "before the summer". And it will also have to win the qualified majority of consensus of member states and then the approval of the European Parliament.

Moreover, some central and eastern European countries still remain vigilant over the possible quota system.

"Permanent quotas once again? How long will the EU commission keep riding this dead horse instead of working on things that really help?" Tomas Prouza, Czech state secretary for European affairs tweeted on Wednesday.

Professor Wang Yiwei of the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China, told Xinhua the outlook on the implementation of the reforms would be pessimistic for the 28 EU member states, which now have different levels of economic strength and competitiveness.

For those "front-line" nations like Greece and Italy, they lack money and manpower to perfectly treat and register the asylum seekers. And for some central and eastern European countries like the Czech Republic and Poland, they are worried that refugees would affect their employment and social integration. As to Germany and some Nordic countries, they have comparatively sound economy and need workers,so they tend to be more open to the arrival of asylum seekers, according to Wang.

Gianni Pittella, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament,said reviewing the Dublin agreement "cannot merely be a cosmetic exercise".

"We therefore call on the EU Commission to show coherence and courage by finally proposing a genuine and functional European asylum policy," he said. Enditem