Handling EU asylum claims: new approaches examined

The UK House of Lords EU committee warned in a report that offshore processing of asylum seekers is “not the answer” to lightening EU’s refugee caseload.

Handling EU asylum claims: new approaches examined

Abstract

Sending asylum seekers to another country for consideration of their asylum claims raises substantial difficulties regarding:

• the State responsible for the decision and accountable for it
• the legal procedures to be applied
• the cost and practical difficulties of removing people to a processing centre in another country and then having to move them again after the determination process.

The British Government’s proposals for transit processing centres were misconceived and have now sensibly been dropped. Their proposals for regional protection areas are very unclear.

• The United Nations High Commissioner’s proposals for EU asylum processing centres are also open to objection on legal and practical grounds. There are no good reasons for replacing national determination procedures with a centralised EU system.
• A better way of tackling high levels of asylum applications and deterring those with unfounded claims is by improving and accelerating initial determination procedures and ensuring that those without a claim to stay either leave or are removed promptly.

(This abstract is taken directly from the report.)

To read the report, visit the website of the

UK Parliament.