UN Refugee Agency calls for far-reaching reform of European asylum system

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has presented a paper to the European Union (EU), calling for far-reaching reform of Europe's global refugee policies, including its asylum system, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here Monday.

"UNHCR says more strategic and targeted support needs to be provided to countries of origin and that Europe needs to investment more in the integration of arriving refugees, including housing, employment and language training," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

The paper, titled "Better Protecting Refugees in the EU and Globally," also called on European countries to review contingency preparations to respond to large refugee and migrant arrivals and to put in place a more efficient and better-managed asylum system.

In the paper, UNHCR also urged Europe to improve support, preparations, and response aspects of its engagement with the refugees.

The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, stressed in a speech to the European Policy Centre in Brussels that last year Europe failed to implement a collective response to help over a million refugees and migrants.

In light of the resultant breakdown in public trust and the fact that the issue was seized upon by those who wanted to turn refugees into scapegoats, it is important that EU member States show, through collective action, "that Europe is capable of engaging effectively and in a principled manner with refugee movements, helping to stabilize refugee flows over the long term through more strategic external engagement -- while at the same time, continuing to welcome refugees in Europe," he added.

The UN agency has also proposed efforts to outline measures to address the reasons why refugees are fleeing, and simplifying an asylum system that would make the process of identifying and registering more efficient.

The system also builds on elements of the existing Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and some reforms proposed by the European Commission. The reform would also guarantee the right to asylum, enhance security screening, and improve management of population movements.

"History has demonstrated that Europe is stronger when it addresses its challenges together; and I firmly believe that this is still possible today," Grandi said, adding that it is time for a new vision for Europe's engagement with the global refugee crisis.

According to UNHCR, the system will also include a common European registration system, a common approach to unaccompanied and separated children, and efficient system for returning individuals who are not in need of protection to their countries of origin. Enditem