EU asylum policy: reforming the Dublin rules to create a fairer system

The Civil Liberties Committee approved proposals for a new Dublin regulation, the cornerstone of the EU asylum system, in a vote on 19 October. It suggests ways to remedy current weaknesses and deliver a robust system for the future. The European Parliament is now ready to start negotiations with member states. The Dublin system is the EU law that determines which EU country is responsible for processing an application for international protection. The right to apply for asylum is laid down in the Geneva Conventions, which all EU member states have signed and which have been incorporated into the EU Treaties. The Dublin rules spell out how EU member states are to fulfil this common, international obligation and share the responsibility for people in need of protection. The refugee crisis of 2015 exposed the flaws of the current system, and notably its inability to handle a sudden surge in the number of people in need of protection, which brought the system near to collapse. A new Dublin system must therefore be able to ensure that asylum seeker are swiftly and fairly relocated among member states.