Asylum procedure and protection in the regions of origin

The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report by Jean LAMBERT (Greens, UK) on a single procedure for the European Asylum System. (Please see the summary of 25/11/04). Parliament rejected the ‘outsourcing' of the application process by sending applicants for refugee status to a third country, not least because it makes it more difficult for applicants to be properly represented and removes the process from democratic oversight. It felt that a resettlement mechanism constitutes the way to offer rapid access to protection without refugees falling victim to illegal immigration and human-trafficking networks or having to wait years before their status is recognized.

Parliament stated that additional resources required for the improvement of support in the regions of origin must be additional monies allocated and coordinated from existing budget lines and not a re-allocation of the existing aid and development budget. This should be taken into account in deliberations on the Financial Perspective.

Parliament backed the proposal for a single procedure for international protection, since it is convinced that a single procedure administered by a single competent authority will save economic resources, but above all will make the procedure swifter and more efficient and provide better guarantees for persons seeking protection : the single authority will assess the international protection needs of the applicant, either in order to grant him refugee status or subsidiary protection or, if appropriate, turn down his application.