Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2014-2020

The European Parliament adopted by 419 to 44 votes with 10 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund.

Parliament adopted its position at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of an agreement negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council. They modify the proposal as follows:

Title and scope of the Fund: the Fund should not only focus on “asylum and migration” but also on “integration”.

Objectives of Funds: the general objective of the Fund, shall be to contribute to the efficient management of migration flows and to the implementation, strengthening and development of the common policy on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection and the common immigration policy, while fully respecting the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The common specific objectives of the Fund have been clarified, so that the latter aims to:

·        to strengthen and develop all aspects of the Common European Asylum System, including its external dimension;

·        to support legal migration to the Member States in line with their economic and social needs such as labour market needs, while safeguarding the integrity of the immigration systems of Member States, and to promote the effective integration of third-country nationals;

·        to enhance fair and effective return strategies in the Member States, which contribute to combating illegal immigration, with an emphasis on sustainability of return and effective readmission in the countries of origin and transit;

·        to enhance the solidarity and responsibility sharing between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration and asylum flows, including through practical cooperation.

The achievement of the specific objectives of this Fund shall be evaluated using common indicators as set out in Annex IV and programme-specific indicators included in national programmes.

Eligible actions: many changes have been introduced to detail the actions eligible for funding. Among other things, the following actions would be eligible for funding:

·        support for reception and asylum systems: support for reception conditions and asylum procedures targeting in particular asylum seekers; improvement of administrative structures, systems and training for staff and authorities dealing with asylum procedures: assistance to vulnerable persons: support for alternative measures to detention; accommodation assistance.

·        support for integration measures: when it is judged appropriate and the national programme of a Member State allows for it, the Fund may support integration measures especially the promotion and strengthening of cooperation between Member States, placing the focus on exchange of information, best practices as well as the development and establishment of joint actions by Member States.

·        support for targeted resettlement measures, transfer of applicants and beneficiaries to international protection in another Member State with consent.

·        support for measures accompanying return procedures, targeting in particular nationals of third countries who have not yet received a final negative decision with regard to their application for the grant of right of residence, legal residence and/or international protection in a Member State, and who choose to make use of voluntary return (including support for removal operations, including related measures, in accordance with the standards set in EU law, with the exception of coercive equipment);

·        support for information campaigns in third countries aimed at raising awareness of appropriate legal channels for immigration and the risks of illegal immigration.

Resources: the global resources shall be EUR 3 137 million, used indicatively as follows:

·        EUR 2 752 million for national programmes of Member States;

·        EUR 385 million for Union actions, emergency assistance, European Migration Network and technical assistance of the Commission of which at least 30% shall be used for Union actions and European Migration Network.

Resources allocated to Member States shall be shared as follows:

·         at least 20% of the EUR 2 392 million that Member States receive from the Fund will go to supporting all aspects of the common European asylum system and to support legal migration to Member States. If they wish to remain below these percentages, they must supply a detailed explanation. Moreover, those countries faced with structural deficiencies in the area of accommodation, infrastructure and service shall not go below the minimum percentage regarding asylum measures;

·         Member States will receive EUR 360 millions for specific actions, for the Union Resettlement Programme and for transfer of beneficiaries of international protection from one Member State to another.

Union Resettlement Programme: Member States shall, in addition to their allocation, receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each resettled person. This shall be increased to EUR 10 000 for each vulnerable person resettled. 

With a view to implementing the principle of solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility and in light of EU policy developments within the implementation period of the Fund, Member States may receive an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 6 000 for each beneficiary of international protection transferred from another Member State.

Family members of such beneficiaries may also be eligible for lump sums where appropriate.

National programmes: in general, the Fund should create a flexible framework allowing the Member States to receive the financial resources under their national programmes to support the areas of action under the Fund, depending on their situation and their needs, and taking into account the general and specific objectives of the Fund, for which the financial support would be the most effective and appropriate. Taking into account the conclusions of the European Council of 7 and 8 February 2013, which stressed that special attention should be given to the island regions facing disproportionate migration difficulties, the minimum amounts for Cyprus and Malta have been increased.

European Migration Network: some new measures have also been added to provide assistance to the European Migration Network. The Commission made a unilateral statement in this area, indicating that it was supporting these changes without prejudice to its right of initiative with regard to a future more comprehensive revision of the set up and functioning of this network.

Coordination: the Commission and Member States, together with the European External Action Service where appropriate, shall ensure that actions in and in relation to third countries are taken in synergy and coherence with other actions outside the Union supported through Union instruments.

They shall, in particular, ensure that those actions are coherent with the Union's external policy and development policy.

Indicators: in order to measure achievements of this Fund, common indicators should be established in relation to each specific objective of this Fund. A new annex has been added to this effect (outlining in particular the type of information to be relayed, for example, the number of target group persons provided with assistance or an integration measure).

Statements of the European Parliament: to note finally that the European Parliament made a unilateral statement on the text adopted in plenary stating that in the spirit of compromise and in order to enable the Fund to operate, it accepted its adoption after the end of discussions with the Council. Nevertheless, the European Parliament reiterates its view – which it has maintained throughout negotiations on this Regulation – that the correct legal basis for the Fund includes Article 80, second sentence, TFEU as a joint legal basis designed to give effect to the principle of solidarity between Member States.

It finally asks that with the aim of promoting relocation as a solidarity tool and improving the conditions pertaining to relocation, that the European Asylum Support Office (EASO develop a handbook and a methodology on relocation, following a mapping of relocation best practices in Member States, including internal organisation systems and reception and integration conditions.