A 9-strong MEP delegation from the Civil Liberties Committee will be in Calais on Wednesday 13 July to visit facilities for migrants and refugees, in the vicinity, which for years has been a gathering spot for people trying to cross from France to the UK. MEPs will meet with local authorities, NGOs, the French-British border authorities and the refugees and migrants themselves in order to assess the situation on the ground.
The delegation, led by MEP Ana Gomes (S&D, PT), will visit the refugee camp called La Linière and the Jules Ferry day centre as well as reception facilities.
A major overhaul of the EU asylum system is currently under way, including a revamp of the Dublin rules determining which EU country is responsible for processing an asylum application, as well as revisions of the EU rules on the redistribution of asylum seekers, stepping up controls at EU external borders and the possibilities of returning migrants who do not meet the criteria for international protection. The delegation’s findings will feed into the committee’s legislative work on these issues.
