Common asylum system moving closer

The Civil Liberties Commitee of the European Parliament. Photo: EP

Better reception conditions for asylum seekers and clearer rules. These are are among the improvements to the current EU asylum legislation that the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday. In a statement, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström welcomed the vote.

"We have the responsibility to welcome asylum seekers in a dignified manner. Today's political agreement is a big step towards a common asylum system, whereby all asylum seekers can get a fair and proper assessment of their case," Malmström said.

With the endorsement in the orientation vote, a common European asylum system is inching closer. Such a system has been the goal of the EU for more than ten years.

The new set of EU laws, which will now also be up for decision in the EU Council of Ministers later this year, will improve and harmonise reception conditions for asylum seekers accross the EU. There will also be clearer rules for how to determine which Member State is responsible for an asylum application.

Cecilia Malmström also blogged about the Committee vote Wednesday.

"The standards for receiving asylum seekers vary considerably between EU countries. There are countries that handle their commitments well. There are countries where reception conditions need to improve. But there are also countries where the reception of refugees is far from European values", Malmström vote.

Read more: Cecilia Malmström's full statement and blog post. More information avaliable at the European Parliament's website.