30 October 2007

EU Developments: Asylum, Human Trafficking, Migration Policy

Asylum:

Comments on the European Commission's Green Paper on the Future of the Common European Asylum System (CEAR) have been gathered together and made available online. Replies through 30 September 2007 were received from member governments, other governments, regional authorities, NGOs, and IGOs.

A recent New Issues in Refugee Research paper, entitled "Fortress Europe and the Iraqi ‘intruders’: Iraqi asylum-seekers and the EU, 2003-2007," contends that the influx of Iraqis seeking asylum has presented the EU with a test of their desire to implement a CEAR through the harmonization of their asylum systems. According to the author, the data "show that so far there is little indication of better convergence in national asylum practice or increased sharing of responsibility to accept asylum-seekers among EU states."

Human Trafficking:

The first EU Anti-Trafficking Day was held 18 October. The aim of the meeting was to endorse "recommendations on identification and referral to services of victims of trafficking in human beings" and "to debate an assessment manual comprising recommended indicators to evaluate and measure the results of anti-trafficking policy in all EU Member States." The web site for the meeting provides access to the various documents that were up for discussion and EU directives concerning steps already taken to combat trafficking.

In addition, a number of NGOs that work on trafficking issues presented a joint statement supporting the call for action made at the meeting.

Migration Policy:

The Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) measures how successfully EU countries integrate immigrants.

The European Migration Network's latest annual policy report was issued recently. It includes a brief update on 2006 policy developments relating to refugee protection and asylum in EU Member States.

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