Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12499 | 26 January 2011

Asylum seekers and refugees: sharing responsibilities in Europe

Signatories: Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Ruhi AÇIKGÖZ, Turkey, EDG ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Lord Tim BOSWELL, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Vannino CHITI, Italy, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr David DARCHIASHVILI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Paata DAVITAIA, Georgia, EDG ; Mr Nikolaos DENDIAS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Daphné DUMERY, Belgium, NR ; Mr Nikolay FEDOROV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Ms Pernille FRAHM, Denmark, UEL ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Zbigniew GIRZYŃSKI, Poland, EDG ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA, Ukraine, EDG ; Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Ana Catarina MENDES, Portugal, SOC ; Ms Hermine NAGHDALYAN, Armenia, ALDE ; Ms Claire PERRY, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Amber RUDD, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EDG ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Giacomo STUCCHI, Italy, EDG ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Karin S. WOLDSETH, Norway, EDG

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Europe is a favoured destination for refugees and asylum-seekers. This creates particular pressure on the countries at the external borders of Europe, particularly those at the southern borders of the European Union.

The Parliamentary Assembly has observed in its reports that the goal of a fairer division of responsibilities and greater solidarity between European states in the migration and asylum field is far from being achieved. If policies for managing irregular migration and asylum are to operate properly at European level, it is essential that all European states should be involved on a basis of solidarity.

Despite its search for an effective and co-ordinated system, Europe has created – via the Dublin regulation - a system which, in its recent M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece judgment, the European Court of Human Rights has made clear doesn’t function properly.

It places an excessive burden on the countries at the borders of the European Union, with the risk that they are unable to offer an equitable, effective system for processing asylum-seekers. A better division of responsibilities would guarantee a system that is fair both for states and asylum-seekers.

The Assembly should consider what measures are needed to ensure that responsibilities in the field of asylum are fairly apportioned in Europe and guarantee refugees and asylum-seekers access to an effective asylum procedure and international protection.