A young Syrian refugee peers out of the window of an aeroplane after arriving at Hanover Airport on September 11, 2013 in Hanover, Germany. ©Alexander Koerner/Getty Images
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 30 May 2018
EU: Historic opportunity to reform the infamous Dublin regulation
Responding to today’s call by the European Parliament for EU Heads of State to agree a real solution for Europe’s broken asylum system, Iverna McGowan, Head of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office said:
‘The European Parliament has slammed a solution on the table that proposes to reform the now infamous Dublin Regulation and replace it with a system which is rooted in solidarity, is fair and is fit for purpose. The ball is now firmly in the court of the European Council to take this reform proposal across the line’’
‘While the clock ticks, the very real consequences of the current Dublin system persist: The overstretched systems of frontline countries creek under strain and delays mean people fleeing desperate situations languish in limbo, many waiting to be processed in one European country while their family resides in another. This system tears families apart’
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Ruairi Talbot on [email protected] or +32 48 7358081
BACKGROUND
Last November, with cross-party political support the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) put forward their proposal to reform the Dublin regulation. As co-legislators, the European Parliament must negotiate with the European Council to agree the final text. At the European Council meeting in June EU Heads of State and Government are finally expected to find a solution.
To address the current flaws in the Dublin system, Amnesty International is calling on EU leaders to support a mandatory distribution mechanism of asylum seekers and to put the reunification of families at the heart of reform.