The European Commission yesterday launched a comprehensive package on asylum, including a Green Paper to start a debate on the future of the Common European Asylum System, a proposal for a directive that extends the possibility of obtaining long-term residence status to beneficiaries of international protection and an evaluation report on the Dublin system.

According to the EU, 181,770 people sought asylum in the EU territory last year.

The plans aim at harmonising asylum rules across the European Union in a push to stop refugees applying for asylum in several member states. At the same time, the planned rules would stop "asylum-shopping", whereby applicants try to gain the easiest acceptance or best social benefits, the Commission said.

There are more than 20 different asylum systems in place in the 27 member states and the EU's only joint tool is the so-called Dublin regulation, laying down that the country responsible for an asylum seeker is the one where the application is originally made.

Malta has long been proposing to the Commission a change to this system so that all member states will share the responsibility and member states on the border would not shoulder all the burden. The Commission is now proposing some changes in this direction.

According to the Green Paper, although the Dublin regulations have worked well, there can be some changes so that burden sharing among member states will also be introduced in this area.

The Commission is inviting member states to submit their proposal by the end of the year so that legislative proposals will be presented in the beginning of 2008.

The Commission yesterday also presented proposals to give recognised refugees long-term residence status. Conditions for acquiring that status could include the requirement that refugees would have been living legally in a member state for five years and that they have stable and regular resources other than social benefits.

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