Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 - 15:21CET
EU agrees significant change to Dublin Regulation on migrants' transfer
The European Commission agreed today to amend the Dublin II regulations so as to allow frontier states to transfer migrants to other countries in certain circumstances.
The changes establish a mechanism of suspension of Dublin II requirements in limited circumstances in order to prevent member states experiencing particular pressure on their asylum systems from being further overburdened.
The Commission explained that the changes ensure that asylum-seekers are not sent to member states which cannot offer them an adequate standard of protection in particular in terms of reception conditions and access to the asylum procedure.
The changes clarify the circumstances and procedures for applying certain rules, such as those allowing member states to take responsibility for an asylum seeker for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.
According to the present regulations, asylum applications have to be dealt with by the member state where the asylum seekers arrive first . Malta has long been insisting for changes to these rules.
The commission's proposals also provide that detention of asylum seekers should only be used in exceptional cases and should not be arbitrary. In contrast, Malta has over the years strongly defended its detention policy, over which there is bipartisan support.
The new proposals have to be approved by all member states before they come into force.
See also:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081203/local/transfer-of-migrants-on-eu-agenda
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Comments
As far as I know that vote was not on illegal immigrants but to persons who were legally in the territory.
I hope all of you read what Louise Vella wrote. With mentality like yours gentlemen this country of ours can never move forward, LIKE LOUISE SAID , NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT PN AND PL.
need other government troubles ,Help them by all means but Malta cannot host all of Africa.
@Anthony Mercieca: LawrencePN is a failure on this issue. Every Maltese I ask that comes from Malta or just recently visited Malta, claims the situation is a mess on the illegal immigration issue. Not one ever says everything is fine on the illegal immigration issue. Not a PL or PN supporter ever told me everything is fine. This past summer turned the unbelievers to believers. This coming summer will turn more unbelievers to believers. When an other 4,000 come in. Lawrence will only be successful if he gains freedom of movement within the EU for the 12,000 Africans and saves Malta's culture and heritage. Should that happen, I will not post anymore comments on the timesofmalta.com. PROMISE.
What is even of more importance is the fact that our Union is legislating that skilled illegal immigrants, will get a priority pass over the others. This reads: brain drain from developing nations such as doctors nurses and other professional people....so much for solidarity, and secondly, Dr Muscat meeting was amongst Social Democrat leaders, and not a meeting by head of governments. It is Dr Gonzi who decides how Malta votes, and from the blogs printed here, it seems as if there are a multitude of Maltese who are not enthusiastic as you as to the illegal immigrants outcome!
You mean to tell that you do not know what Joseph Muscat voted for when he met his comrades in arms over the weekend in Spain
Where did you get the information?
They also want to use detention in exceptional cases. This means that the ILLEGAL immigrants will be released immediately on landing notwithstanding that nothing is known about them and their past.
"The new proposals have to be approved by all member states before they come into force"
Forget ever coming to an agreement to take ILLEGAL immigrants from us.
Is this a decision or just what the Comission is proposing and has to be agreed upon by the member states?
Is there a cost involved by way of much more generous treatment of "asylum seekers", that is, all the illegal immigrants arriving in Malta and amounting to yet another pull factor, even before the EU has set up mechanisms to protect our borders?
I shall applaud when the illegal immigrants stop coming (and not just because of the weather) and when those already here are relocated to their own or other countries.
This is not about PN or PL. It's about Malta survival in its present identity.
And, I understand that other member States accepting immigrants will not be on a voluntary basis. For we will be back to square one.
What is even more interesting is that Joseph Muscat and the PL are in favour of illegal immigrants as long as they are men above a certain age. .