Malta får EU:s gemensamma asylkontor

Ytterligare ett steg på vägen mot en EU-gemensam asylpolitik har tagits genom att ett kontor för asyl, European Asylum Support Office (EASO), upprättas på Malta.

The aim of EASO is to facilitate, coordinate and strengthen practical cooperation among member sates in the field of asylum and improve the implementation of the EU’s Common European Asylum System.

The office will support EU member states in their efforts to implement a more consistent and fair asylum policy, for example by helping to identify good practices, organising training at European level and improving access to accurate information on countries of origin.

It will also be responsible for coordinating support teams made up of national experts that will be deployed at the request of member states faced with a mass influx of asylum seekers into their territory.

It will also provide scientific and technical assistance for the development of asylum policy and legislation.

The office will be set up in the form of an agency, an independent European body. The commission and the member states will be represented on the management board, which will be the office’s governing body.

Att dela på bördorna under det svenska ordförandeskapet

TimesofMalta.com skriver att det svenska ordförandeskapet kan innebära problem för Malta som vill att resten av unionen ska hjälpa dem med att ta emot invandrare.

Malta is likely to face an uphill struggle on illegal immigration in the next six months under the incoming Swedish Presidency of the EU.

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt yesterday sounded cool on the prospect of deepening talks on the concept of burden sharing, a topic being promoted by both Malta and Italy.

"I know that Malta is pushing for more burden sharing to solve its immigration problems and that the Commission is also pressing on this point but, as you know, there are different views among member states on this," he said.

Premiär för "burden sharing" inom EU

EU:s gemensamma migationspolitik får allt mer faktiskt innehåll. Under Sveriges ordförandeskap är det tänkt att medlemsstaterna ska enas om Stockholmsprogrammet som ska ge bättre förutsättnignar för att ytterligare stärka samarbetet inom asyl- och migrationsområdet. Blir det ett Stockholmsprogram kan vi räkna med att de processer som sker redan idag kommer att få ännu större tyngd. Mer om det svenska ordförandeskapet hösten 2009 finns på den nyupprättade hemsidan.

Att dela på bördan av illegal invandring och asylinvandring

Härom dagen beslutades om ett pilotprojekt om 'burden sharing' som går ut på att hjälpa Malta att handera det stora inflödet av migranter.

EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot said that the Commission has been given the mandate by member states to launch a pilot intra-community voluntary relocation programme for Malta. He said that this was a very important step in Malta's fight against illegal immigration as it was not only the first time ever that such a programme would be introduced but it would also translate statements of solidarity from member states into action.

EU sources said that the programme should be up and running this summer and would provide the opportunity for refugees and other beneficiaries of international protection currently in Malta to move and resettle in other EU member states.

Sätta tryck på transitländer

EU försöker få länder som de fakto fungerar som transitländer på vägen till EU att ta ett större ansvar för flyktingsituationer. Det mest aktuella exemplet är Libyen som är ett av få länder som inte skrivit under 1951 års flyktingkonvention.

The EU wants Libya to sign a refugee convention so would-be immigrants to Europe can apply for asylum there instead of trying to cross the Mediterranean, a top justice official said Thursday.

"We are going to begin negotiations with Libya and see how we can lead this country to respect its international obligations. We must be firm on this point," said EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot.