The European Parliament has today adopted its position on the revision of the Dublin Regulation, after a vote by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Thursday morning. The position – approved by a vast majority – seeks to ensure that all countries have a fair share of the responsibility for receiving asylum seekers. The new Dublin regulation must ease the burden on frontline Member States whilst at the same time guaranteeing that all Member States with external borders, the first place of arrival in Europe for most refugees, will take their responsibility in registering all arriving people. MEP Cecilia Wikström (ALDE/SWE) leading the revision urged the European Council to adopt its position so that negotiations can start:

“The European asylum system is one of the key issues determining how Europe’s future will develop. As rapporteur, my goal is to create a truly new asylum system based on solidarity with clear rules and incentives to follow them, both for the asylum seekers and for all Member States.

It is time to put an end to a system in which refugees are forced into the hands of unscrupulous human traffickers who smuggle them through Europe. I urge the Council of Ministers to take a common position as soon as possible, so that trialogue negotiations can begin and a new well-functioning, truly new European asylum system can be put into place as soon as possible.”

ENDS