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UK lobbies against plan to scrap EU's Dublin resolution UK lobbies against plan to scrap EU's Dublin resolution
(35 minutes later)
Britain is to lobby against plans by the European commission to scrap the rules obliging refugees to seek asylum in the first country in which they arrive, Downing Street has said. Britain is to lobby against plans by the European commission to scrap rules obliging refugees to seek asylum in the first country in which they arrive, according to Downing Street.
As the commission pledged to tackle “systemic deficiencies” in the current system, David Cameron’s spokeswoman said the UK would seek to retain the principles of the so-called Dublin regulations on asylum seekers. But Britain would exercise its right to opt out if the changes are introduced on the grounds that it is another attempt by the commission to relocate refugees around the EU. As the commission pledged to tackle problems with the existing mechanism, David Cameron’s spokeswoman said the UK would seek to retain the principles of the so-called Dublin regulations on asylum seekers. But Britain would exercise its right to opt out if the changes are introduced, on the grounds that it is another attempt by the commission to relocate refugees around the EU.
Downing Street intervened after the European commission confirmed it was examining reforms to the Dublin regulations. EU leaders are due to agree an overhaul of Europe’s migration policy in March. An estimated 1.1 million refugees have arrived on the continent in 2015. EU leaders are due to agree an overhaul of Europe’s migration policy in March. An estimated 1.1 million refugees arrived on the continent in 2015.
Britain takes part in the Dublin system, which means refugees must remain in the first safe country they arrive in. But No 10 made clear that the UK would opt out if the commission’s proposals are adopted. A European commission spokeswoman said there were “systemic deficiencies in the way the current Dublin system is working” and added the UK would have to decide whether to take part in the new rules.
A European commission spokeswoman said there were “systemic deficiencies in the way the current Dublin system is working”, and added the UK would have to decide whether to take part in the new rules.
“The UK would then have to choose whether it would participate or not in a new system, but we don’t know what this system would look like as we have not presented it,” she said.
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Downing Street believes that EU countries with external borders, including Italy and Greece, should do more to strengthen the EU’s external borders. Britain, which last year made clear it would opt out of a commission proposal to relocate refugees across the EU on a proportionate basis, believes that the changes to the Dublin convention are designed to achieve this through a different route. Downing Street believes that EU countries with external borders, including Italy and Greece, should do more to strengthen those borders. Britain, which made clear last year that it would opt out of a commission proposal to relocate refugees across the EU on the basis of proportionality, believes that proposed changes to the Dublin convention are also designed to achieve this.
The prime minister’s spokeswoman made clear that the existing system should remain. She said: “We have been clear that this mechanism within the Dublin regulation is one that the UK makes use of and that in any discussion around revising the Dublin regulations we would seek to retain the principle that asylum seekers are returned to the first safe country they arrive in. The most important thing with this is that we have a JHA opt so we have opted out of the relocation proposals and we will always be able to use our opt out in the future.” The prime minister’s spokeswoman made clear that Downing Street is happy with the status quo. “We have been clear that this mechanism within the Dublin regulation is one that the UK makes use of and that in any discussion around revising the Dublin regulations we would seek to retain the principle that asylum seekers are returned to the first safe country they arrive in. The most important thing with this is that we have a [justice and home affairs committee] opt out so we have opted out of the relocation proposals and we will always be able to use our opt out in the future.”
The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, called on Wednesday for his counterpart at the European council, Donald Tusk, to set a date for a further summit in February to debate migration policy. On Wednesday the European commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, called for his counterpart at the European council, Donald Tusk, to set a date for a further summit in February to debate migration policy.
“I’m rather worried that we won’t have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth so I would recommend to Mr Tusk a further summit,” Juncker said. “We can’t have a success on the UK and not address the refugee crisis – that would be the wrong kind of signal.”“I’m rather worried that we won’t have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth so I would recommend to Mr Tusk a further summit,” Juncker said. “We can’t have a success on the UK and not address the refugee crisis – that would be the wrong kind of signal.”
This followed a warning from Tusk that the EU had just two months to save its border-free travel zone. Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland, who chairs EU leaders’ meetings, said the EU must agree a new migration strategy at a summit in March. This followed a warning from Tusk that the EU had just two months to save its border-free travel zone. Tusk, a former prime minister of Poland, said the EU must agree a new migration strategy at a summit in March.
“The March European council [meeting of EU leaders] will be the last moment to see if our strategy works,” he told members of the European parliament on Tuesday. “If it doesn’t we will face grave consequences, such as the collapse of Schengen.”“The March European council [meeting of EU leaders] will be the last moment to see if our strategy works,” he told members of the European parliament on Tuesday. “If it doesn’t we will face grave consequences, such as the collapse of Schengen.”
European governments have been putting up fences and re-establishing border controls across the continent, after more than 1 million refugees fleeing chaos and war in the Middle East and Africa landed on Europe’s shores in 2015. European governments have been putting up fences and re-establishing border controls across the continent in response to the arrival of more than a million refugees fleeing chaos and war in the Middle East and Africa in 2015.
The vast majority of refugees have ended up in northern Europe, mainly Germany, Sweden and Austria, prompting these governments to push for mandatory quotas that would result in refugees and migrants being settled across the continent. But fewer than 300 refugees have been resettled under the plan, despite ambitions of finding 160,000 a new home. The vast majority have ended up in northern Europe, mainly Germany, Sweden and Austria, prompting these governments to push for quotas that would result in refugees and migrants being settled across the continent. But fewer than 300 have been resettled under the plan, despite the stated ambition of finding 160,000 a new home.
The UK foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, has also voiced his frustration at the EU’s failure to find the funds promised to Turkey to obtain Ankara’s help to tackle the refugee crisis. The UK’s foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, has voiced his frustration at the EU’s failure to find the funds promised to Turkey to obtain its help in tackling the refugee crisis.
“I am disappointed and concerned that the €3bn [£2.3bn] that the EU agreed to provide Turkey to support their efforts in dealing with the influx of refugees has been held up,” he said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday. “The UK made an early commitment to pay its share and I’ll continue to push other member states to resolve this as quickly as possible.”“I am disappointed and concerned that the €3bn [£2.3bn] that the EU agreed to provide Turkey to support their efforts in dealing with the influx of refugees has been held up,” he said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday. “The UK made an early commitment to pay its share and I’ll continue to push other member states to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
Related: Juncker 'quite sure' of February deal on Britain's EU membershipRelated: Juncker 'quite sure' of February deal on Britain's EU membership
The EU’s struggle to preserve its border-free travel zone forms the backdrop to its negotiations with the UK, as the British government seeks to rewrite the terms of its EU membership. Officials are increasingly confident they can reach a deal with the UK in February, which Tusk described as “not easy but possible”. The EU’s struggle to preserve its border-free travel zone forms the backdrop to its negotiations with the UK, as the British government seeks to rewrite the terms of its EU membership. EU officials are increasingly confident they can reach a deal with the UK in February, which Tusk described as “not easy but possible”.
An agreement in February would pave the way for a referendum in June, avoiding holding an autumn vote during the peak time for refugee arrivals. Either way, EU migration and asylum policy is certain to loom large in the campaign. An agreement in February would pave the way for a referendum in June, which would avoid the necessity of an autumn vote during the peak time for refugee arrivals. Either way, EU migration and asylum policy is certain to loom large in the campaign.
The campaign to leave the EU has seized on reports that the UK may have to take more refugees in future. “This change would appear to provide a further incentive for asylum seekers to get across the channel,” a Vote Leave spokesperson said. One of several UK campaigns to leave the EU has seized on reports that Britain may have to take more refugees. “This change would appear to provide a further incentive for asylum seekers to get across the channel,” a Vote Leave spokesperson said.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said he wanted to “kill this idea that a refugee himself or herself decided which country to go to … it should be the European Union [that decides]”.Speaking on Wednesday, Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said he wanted to “kill this idea that a refugee himself or herself decided which country to go to … it should be the European Union [that decides]”.
With thousands of refugees arriving in Greece every day at the peak of the crisis, the EU agreed last year to scrap a rule requiring refugees to seek asylum in the first country they arrive in. The EU is now moving to formalise the end of the Dublin system and is expected to publish a legal text in March. With thousands of refugees arriving in Greece every day at the peak of the crisis, the EU agreed last year to scrap a rule requiring refugees to seek asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. The EU is moving to formalise the end of the Dublin system and is expected to publish a proposal in March.
Referring to the plans, Tusk also criticised EU member states for “a clear delivery deficit on many fronts”, citing failure to find the money for a €3bn action plan agreed with Turkey last year in an attempt to keep more refugees in the region. Referring to the plans, Tusk criticised EU member states for “a clear delivery deficit on many fronts”, citing failure to find the money for a €3bn action plan agreed with Turkey last year.