Europees Parlement voorstander van minimumstandaarden voor asielzoekers in de EU (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament on Tuesday (27 September) voted in favour of a draft law setting a minimum standard for asylum-seekers across the EU - but agreed several changes in favour of the asylum seeker.

With over 100 amendments to a proposed EU law on granting refugee status, MEPs sent a message to national governments that the rules should be tightened up to protect the rights of refugees.

Referring to the current situation, UK liberal MEP Sarah Ludford said "The requirement of unanimity among EU governments, and the scapegoating of refugees, have converged to produce shabby 'lowest common denominator' legislation where each state has effectively exported its worst asylum practices".

Some of the areas where MEPs called for change include rejecting the concept of "super-safe countries" put forward by governments.

Under this idea, member states would be allowed to draw up a list of third countries considered definitely safe so refugee status to all applicants from these countries would not be granted.

But MEPs felt this goes against the international Geneva Convention because it would not give the asylum seekers the right to have their cases heard.

They also agreed an amendment calling on member states to use detention centres, such as the controversial centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa, only as a very last resort.

MEPs called for the rights of potential refugees to be fully respected - so that they have the right of appeal if refused and must be allowed to stay in the member state until any appeal procedure ends.

The law, known as the Common Asylum Standard Directive, is one part of an overall programme agreed by governments to tighten up their external borders and stop people trying to claim asylum in several countries.

Not binding

But the House was not as united as appears. The amendments were only agreed very narrowly by 305 votes to 302.

Members of the centre-right EPP and the nationalist UEN generally voted against the changes fearing they would leave the system open to abuse.

On top of this, the MEPs' view is not binding as they are only entitled to be consulted for their view. Member states, who will now consider the law again, are unlikely to accept these changes.

Last year, as part of the same package, the EU agreed a common definition of a refugee and also agreed that asylum seekers' fingerprints can be checked across the 25 countries to see if they have applied more than once.

*On Tuesday, MEPs also voted down a controversial proposal drawn up by Sweden, Ireland, the UK and France in which data from telephone calls and emails could be stored for up to three years.

Instead they opted to wait for a commission proposal on the same issue - a proposal where the parliament will also have more say.