Dismantling refugee protection in the EU

EU: Statewatch analysis

The European Commission has developed the controversial UK plan to keep refugees outside the EU by giving so-called protection in the region and resettlement. There is no clear legal basis for scheme. It has been set out in a form that allows officials to simply proceed without any consultation of national or European parliaments.

 http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/jul/refugees-external-processing.pdf
Full-text of Commission Communication (pdf)
 http://www.statewatch.org/news/2004/jun/COM-prot-in-region.pdf

The analysis concludes: "The EU has already exported its responsibility for countless refugees through the development of buffer-states and readmission agreements. By funding "protection in the region", border controls and "migration management" in developing countries it will export responsibility for countless more."

Background

1. EU buffer states and UNHCR "processing" centres and "safe havens"  http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/jun/07eubuffer.htm

2. UK asylum plan for "safe havens": full text and reactions  http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/apr/10safe.htm

3. Asylum in the EU: the beginning of the end?  http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/mar/25asylum.htm

4. Legal opinion on removing aylum-seekers from the EU  http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/jun/25asylopinion.html