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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the meeting of Ministers of the member states of the European Union and Community to consider the establishment of pilot projects to receive those wishing to seek asylum within the Union, what the origin was of the document containing those proposals; who was responsible for producing that document; what the treaty bases were for those proposals; which member states supported the proposal in principle pending administrative agreement; what views were presented to meetings by representatives of the United Kingdom; who those representatives were; what consultations in (a) private and (b) public were held in the UK prior to the response made on behalf of the UK; and what progress has been made with the project. [200097] Mr. Browne: In June 2003 the European Commission published a Communication (COM(2003)315 final) "Towards more accessible, equitable and managed asylum systems". That discussion document examined possible policy objectives and approaches for reformed asylum systems, having regard to concerns expressed by the UK about the deficiencies of the international protection system for refugees. The Thessaloniki European Council in June, 2003 took note of the Communication and invited the Commission to present a further report, by June 2004, suggesting measures to ensure more orderly and managed entry in the EU of persons in need of international protection and to enhance the protection capacity in the regions of origin. On 4 June this year the Commission presented its further Communication "On the managed entry in the EU of persons in need of international protection and the enhancement of the protection capacity of the regions of origin--Improving access to durable solutions" (COM(2004)410 final). This contains two main recommendations. Firstly, the Commission advocates the development--in close co-operation with UNHCR and in partnership with the third countries concerned--of "flexible and situation specific EU Regional Protection Programmes", designed to address protection issues in third countries in the regions of origin. Secondly, the Commission proposes the development of a EU Resettlement Scheme. This would enable member states who wished to, to join forces in receiving, direct from regions of origin, persons found to be in need of international protection. The Communication itself has no legal base. The proposed EU Resettlement Scheme would be based upon Article 63(2)(b) of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC). Representatives of EU member states have discussed the Commission's Communication in various fora at both official and ministerial level (including the Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Strategic Committee on Immigration Frontiers and Asylum, the High Level Working Group and the Development Working Group). These discussions showed widespread support for Regional Protection Programmes among member states although an EU Resettlement Scheme is unlikely to be acceptable to some. The UK welcomed the Commission's Communication and supported the broad purpose of its proposals, while making it clear that national Governments of participating member states must retain final control of the numbers and origins of any refugees accepted in their territory. EU Foreign Ministers adopted conclusions at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 2 November which require the Commission to present to the Council an action plan for one or more pilot Regional Protection Programme(s), and a proposal for a possible resettlement scheme, by July 2005. Furthermore, the European Council at its meeting of 5 November agreed the Hague Programme setting out a five-year work programme for JHA. This called on the Commission to develop EU Regional Protection Programmes in partnership with the third countries concerned and in close co-operation with the UNHCR.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

200097; 428 c738-9W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Asylum EU action Pilot schemes Protection Refugees EU immigration

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk