EP gaat nieuwe stappen zetten op weg naar gezamenlijk asielbeleid (en)

A crucial step towards a common system for handling asylum seekers in the EU will be taken this week when MEPs are asked to vote for a raft of new rules. These include common procedures, the creation of a basic set or rights for asylum seekers arriving in the EU and a proposal to stop transfers to member states struggling to cope. MEPs will debate the plans from 15.00 CET on Tuesday 11 June and vote on them from 11.30 CET the following day. Follow the debate and vote live on our website.

Last year alone some 330,000 people applied for asylum in EU countries. The new EU rules will introduce unified asylum procedures to ensure equal treatment for asylum seekers in all member states, outline their rights while being detained and will also clarify the reasons for detainment. The legislation would also make clear which country is responsible for dealing with an asylum request. In most cases this will be the country in which asylum seekers first entered the EU. In addition fingerprints, which are stored in the Eurodac database, will be used to determine if people have already claimed asylum in another EU member state.