Completing the reform of the Common European Asylum System

Today the Commission has completed its comprehensive response in the field of migration and asylum, proposed a common EU i Resettlement Framework, and assessed the latest developments on visa reciprocity with the U.S. and Canada.

Today the Commission has adopted a new legislative package completing its comprehensive response in the field ofmigration and asylum.

Reforming the Common European Asylum System

Following-up on its commitment to move towards towards a more humane, fair and efficient European asylum policy, and the first set of proposals to reform the Common European Asylum System of 4 May 2016, the College has adopted today three new legislative proposals:

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  a proposal to harmonise the current disparate Asylum Procedures in all Member States and create a genuine common procedure, thereby removing incentives for asylum shopping and secondary movements between Member States.
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  a proposal for setting uniform standards for the recognition of persons in need of protection and the rights granted to beneficiaries of international protection
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  a proposal to further harmonise reception conditions in the EU, in order to ensure that the treatment of applicants is dignified across the EU, in accordance with fundamental rights and rights of the child, and to decrease secondary movements.

All the elements of a solid, coherent and integrated Common European Asylum System are now on the table. It is generous to the most vulnerable and strict towards potential abuse, while always respecting fundamental rights.

A common EU Resettlement Framework

Following-up on its commitment to enhance legal avenues from third countries to the EU, and moving towards a more managed approach to international protection within the EU, the Commission is also proposing a structured EU Resettlement Framework,

It will establish a common set of standard procedures for the selection of resettlement candidates and a common protection status for persons resettled to the EU to streamline and better focus European resettlement efforts in the future. This will ensure orderly and safe pathways to the EU for persons in need of international protection, with the aim of progressively reducing the incentives for irregular arrivals. To support Member States' resettlement efforts under the targeted EU schemes, the Commission will provide €10,000 from the EU budget for each person resettled.

State of play on Relocation and Resettlement

Today, the Commission has also presented its 'Fifth Report on relocation and resettlement', which shows that there is some significant progress and that the scheme is beginning to work. But more efforts are needed.

A total 3,056 persons have been relocated (2,213 from Greece and 843 from Italy)

A total of 8,268 persons have been resettled under the resettlement scheme of 20 July 2015, mainly from Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

A total of 802 Syrians have been resettled from Turkey to the EU under the EU-Turkey Statement of 18 March 2016.

Finally, the Commission has taken stock of latest developments on visa reciprocity with the United States and Canada and set out the next steps. It reaffirmed its objective to achieve full visa waiver reciprocity.