Today the European Parliament adopted four legislative reports on asylum relating to the reception of asylum seekers, the Dublin regulation (determining which Member State is responsible for an asylum application), the EURODAC database and the creation of a European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to support EU-wide cooperation on asylum matters. (1)
UK Green MEP Jean Lambert, author of the report on the EASO and Greens/EFA Group shadow draftswoman for the other reports, commented:
"Despite the obvious need for close cooperation between Member States on questions of asylum, their policies are still a patchwork of dramatically varying standards and approaches. Today I am pleased that the EU Parliament approved some modest steps towards ending the lottery of treatment for asylum applicants and building a platform for better cooperation and mutual confidence between Member States. Above all, I hope we are moving closer to ensuring that individuals in need of protection receive it.
"I welcome that EU legislation on reception conditions now provides for access to the labour market and adequate income support, which will help to ensure that asylum applicants are not left destitute. The Directive affirming that a person should not be held in detention for the sole reason of seeking international protection is also a step forward.
"I am pleased that Parliament adopted my report on creating a European Asylum Support Office. The bureau can play a vital role in ensuring all Member States cooperate effectively and work to the same high standards. This will allow individuals to seek asylum in more confidence and will increase confidence between Member States, serving as a basis for further cooperation and solidarity in future.
"Not all measures adopted today are positive. While I welcome new data protection provisions, the collection of fingerprints – including of children as young as 14 – continues to be an abhorrent criminalisation of the treatment of people who are applying for protection. Furthermore the approval of a decentralised database containing both asylum and criminal records opens an unacceptable risk of abuse by police or others who gain access."