EU members would annually pledge how many people they would be ready to admit, rather than making case-by-case decisions as with the recent acceptance of Iraqi refugees from Syria and Jordan, according to proposals obtained by Reuters. The countries would receive EU funds to help with resettlement.
The draft Commission proposal says the 27-nation bloc's international image is suffering from the low number of refugees from poor or war-stricken countries it admits each year via an unpredictable process.
"The current relatively low level of involvement of the EU in the resettlement of refugees impacts negatively on the ambition of the EU to play a prominent role in global humanitarian affairs and hence on the influence of the EU in international fora," the draft said.
The scheme, to be unveiled on Wednesday, is meant to discourage people, mainly Africans, from trying to reach Europe on makeshift boats or hidden in lorries with the help of human traffickers.
By making the system more transparent and increasing the number of people EU states would be prepared to take, the Commission says illegal entry would become less attractive.
"The principal objective of joint EU action on resettlement should be to demonstrate greater solidarity to third countries in receiving refugees, to involve more member states in resettlement activities and to provide for an orderly and secure access to protection for those resettled," the draft said.
The proposal would be negotiated by EU governments and the European Parliament. Later this year, the Commission will propose harmonising asylum and family reunion laws across the bloc.
According to UN figures, EU countries accepted 6.7% of the 65,596 legally resettled refugees worldwide last year. In 2010, some 203,000 people should in theory be resettled.
Under the Commission's proposal, a new European Asylum Support Office would meet regularly and annually define priorities for resettlement, taking into account refugees' needs, available places and EU foreign policy needs.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
