EASO Monitor

Countdown to CEAS

2013-05-24T13:49:00.000+02:00

The long awaited approval of the new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) package appears to be in its final stages. The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has approved the text of the ‘[t]he last pieces of the puzzle’ – so goes the title of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs blog post (24 April), referring to the new asylum Procedures Directive and the Eurodac Regulation.

Commissioner Cecília Malmstrom describes the moment as a “milestone for the European cooperation” and as “one of the most important goals” for her, “if not the most important”.

www.bbc.co.uk

(The Regulation establishing the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) had been adopted back in 2010 and is not being amended in this last stage of the new CEAS).

We support and quote the Commissioner's words to justify the need for the strengthening of CEAS: “the difference between Member States in receiving refugees is unacceptable. A small number of countries are taking a great share of the responsibility, whilst others should be able to do a lot more.”

Curiously enough, however, other experts in EU migration and asylum law and policy describe the new CEAS in a way that contrasts with the Commissioner’s contentment.

For example, the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) – see the Editorial of the 26 April ECRE Weekly Bulletin - and to Statewatch – click here to read the analysis by Professor Steve Peers (University of Essex), which we found in the European Area of Freedom Security & Justice Blog.

www.cy2012.eu

‘Common European Asylum System: the real job still needs to be done’ (by ECRE) and ‘The second phase of the Common European Asylum System: a brave new world – or lipstick on a pig?’ (Statewatch).

We strongly recommend reading, not only for the sake of completeness of information but also to contextualise the presented arguments within the broader assessment of, what's really going on with the Common European Asylum System?

Enjoy the reading!

Disappointing & frustrating: yesterday's EP discussion on intra-EU relocation

2013-05-21T09:43:00.002+02:00

Yesterday the European Parliament held a Plenary session on a voluntary and permanent intra-EU relocation of international protection beneficiaries, generally seen as tool of solidarity with those Member States who are considered to be facing 'particular pressures'. And it seems that the overall conclusion seems to be that the EUREMA initiative "was a step in the right direction", that is should be continued and that more efforts are needed to further strengthen it.

We've written several posts on this issue, not only because it is of direct interest to EASO but also because it is (obviously) of immense interest to Malta. By 'Malta' we don't only mean the Maltese Government but also the vast majority of persons living here, for whom solidarity and intra-EU relocation represent one of the most effective ways of dealing with 'Malta's problems with the illegal immigrants' (probably immediately after Malta's terrible and infamous detention policy).

We'll be honest and admit that we haven't watched the full session, so aren't able to comment on exactly what was said. But we do have a few preliminary comments on what we've seen so far.

We think that this entire EUREMA discussion has been extremely disappointing, at least from our perspective as NGOs directly involved in both EUREMA initiatives. As our readers know, some time ago a number of Maltese refugee-supporting NGOs (including us) had written to both EASO and the Commission requesting to be involved in the consultation and review partly implemented by EASO.

We asked this because we had, and still have, very hands-on comments on the way EUREMA worked, its procedures, results, human impact, policy implications, etc.

Without going into too many details, the conclusion is that although our request was formally accepted, we were never spoken to nor asked to present written submissions. All our attempts to get involved in the discussion were futile.

EASO presented its own fact-finding report, the Commission reached its conclusions and at no stage did anyone think it appropriate to talk to any of the NGOs who, for years, have been working with refugees in Malta and who have very clear views on solidarity and EUREMA as policies and as processes.

We're terribly disappointed, annoyed and frustrated. This is just not the way things should work, and now we're wondering whether NGOs will be given the opportunity to speak, or possibly whisper, at the 'Annual Relocation Forum' yesterday announced by Commissioner Malmstrom.

And let's not even start commenting on the proposal to give a cash handout of €6,000 per relocated refugee to the accepting Member State. Seriously? When NGOs are barely surviving to make ends meet, when desperately needed NGO-provided services (legal aid, psycho-social support, material assistance, integration support, etc.) are being cut down because many of us simply cannot survive?

Please, give us a break.

EASO, resettlement & solidarity

2013-05-08T11:30:00.000+02:00

‘Between Solidarity and the Priority to Protect – Where Refugee Relocation meets Refugee Resettlement’ (by Frank Mc Namara, 18 February 2013) is the title of the mpcblog article based on results of the KNOW Reset project.

The article draws our attention to two extremely relevant tools to achieve an “effective solidarity within the Common European Asylum System” and, very importantly, to the difference between the two. It is suggested that whereas resettlement better reflects solidarity with third countries, relocation tends to reflect solidarity with other EU Member States:

“(…) [R]elocation of refugees within Europe must not come at the expense of resettlement. Resettlement, the humanitarian enterprise, underlines the priority to protect. Taking refugees from third States beyond the Union which are host to much larger numbers of refugees is taking the most vulnerable and giving them an opportunity that they otherwise will not receive.

Protection must be the priority and as difficult as conditions are within certain Member States for refugees, if they are at least properly protected then it is still a fortunate situation in comparison to the precarious position of many refugees in camps across the world”.

The European Asylum Support Office's (EASO) key role in the pursuit of an “effective solidarity within the Common European Asylum System”, by “ensuring that relocation is not carried out at the expense of granting resettlement to those refugees who are eligible for resettlement and who are still at risk and should be a protection priority”, is mentioned in this article.

Precisely with regard to this crucial role, the article further makes reference to EASO’s fact-finding report on intra-EU relocation activities from Malta and to the Office's September newsletter.

(We mentioned these two documents in earlier posts. If you want to refresh your memory, click here for the fact-finding report and here for EASO’s September newsletter).

At the end of the article, the KNOW Reset team drops a line to thank EASO Monitor and aditus foundation for our collaboration on their project. Thank YOU, Know Reset!

We would also like to thank our friends at Forced Migration Current Awareness blog because we found this article at their end.

April newsletter

2013-05-03T09:29:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we received EASO’s April Newsletter, accessible here.

“CONTENTS

Editorial and in the news
The Common Country of Origin Information portal
COI strategic network meeting
EASO training
Group for the Provision of Statistics
Quality and personal interview
EASO notices, including vacancies”

EASO & fundamental rights...

2013-04-29T13:40:00.001+02:00

The 6th Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) Meeting came to an end last week, after a full programme covering the 25th and 26th April.

We (aditus foundation) are a member of the FRP, but were unable to attend the meeting due to resource constraints. While we were following the event's discussions, EASO's absence was brought to our attention by friends present in Vienna.

As a human rights NGO working to strengthen the human rights approach to asylum and migration, we definitely believe that cooperation with the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) should be a main priority for EASO.

Management Board Chairperson Maija Sakslin and
FRA Director Morten Kjaeurm answer questions (photo from FRA website).

Firstly, and from a very practical perspective, because most asylum matters (whether policies, laws or practices) are so closely scrutinized for their human rights compatibility that participation in similar FRP activities could provide EASO an excellent opportunity to engage with challenging themes, and explore perspectives on how to mainstream fundamental rights in its activities.

Secondly, the FRP presents a forum for interaction with a spectrum of civil society organisations that is broader than that EASO regularly liaises with.

Finally, we should not forget that EASO’s cooperation with FRA is clearly indicated in the Regulation establishing a European Asylum Support Office (article 52).

We obviously don't know why EASO was not present...but we do think it was a missed opportunity for it to make its presence known and felt within the human rights environment.

What do you think? Let us know by posting your comments.

Various recommendations to EASO...

2013-04-22T17:24:00.002+02:00

We found two reports offering advice to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) in the Forced Migration Current Awareness Blog (25 February and 29 March posts).

One of the reports, entitled ‘Dublin II Regulation – Lives on Hold’ (February 2013) is a ‘European Comparative Report’ on the application of the Dublin Regulation by some States (Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and The Netherlands).

This report was coordinated by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and was written in the framework of the Dublin Transnational Network project (whose partners were ECRE, Forum Réfugiés – Cosi and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee).

“Over 15 years have passed since the first Dublin Convention entered into force and yet inconsistencies and problems remain in the operation of this system” – (p. 5, Executive Summary).

Relying on National Reports synthesised in the report, the document aims at contributing to “a better understanding of the Dublin system and its impact on the fundamental rights of those subject to it” (p. 5, Executive Summary). It then makes recommendations to policy makers and practitioners, along this line of thought.

Recommendations made to EASO concern the “establishment of a mechanism for early warning, preparedness and crisis management” as well as the implementation of the European Asylum Curriculum."

The full report and National Reports available on the Dublin Transnational Network project page.

The second report, ‘Fundamental Rights at Europe’s Southern Sea Borders’ (2013) – also makes some recommendations to EASO. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) addresses the rights, reception practices and challenges with respect to the rights of people risking their lives to reach, by sea, European Union territory. In doing so, FRA simultaneously offers advice to practitioners and policy makers. These recommendations can be found right at the beginning of the report, in the “Executive summary and FRA opinions”, from pages 9 to 17.

The suggestions directed at EASO are as follows:

It “should make use of its mandate to cooperate with third countries with a view to supporting their asylum and reception systems as well as to implement actions aimed at finding durable solutions for refugees”

“In line with the Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors, EASO is encouraged to publish practical guidance for EU Member States on how to carry out age assessments in full respect of fundamental rights and include this in its training activities”

“If present in the operational area, EASO should provide training and guidance to debriefing officers to enable them to recognise asylum requests and to refer these to the appropriate authority”

Noteworthy in this report is also the reference and encouragement to the cooperation between EASO and Frontex (see pages 17, 112 and 117). On this, see our earlier post.

Well done to everyone involved in researching and drafting these two excellent reports!

________________________________________________

We're happy to welcome our new EASO Monitor Intern, Ana Rita Campino. Rita will be working on strategising the blog, making it more interactive, analytical and (we hope!) interesting for our readers.

Don't hesitate to share with her any feedback, comments, insights, documentation...

Rita can be contacted on our EASO Monitor address.

EASO March newsletter

2013-04-03T09:54:00.001+02:00

We've just received EASO's March newsletter, accessible from the Agency's website.

"Contents:

Editorial and in the news

EASO Country of Origin Information approach

Situation of asylum in the EU

EASO training

EASO training in figures

EASO addresses the issue of family tracing

EASO offers training on inclusion in Russian

EASO consults

EASO in pictures

EASO notices, including vacancies"

Weekend reading: academic article on CEAS & Dublin

2013-03-28T11:45:00.004+01:00

We came across an interesting article in the Croatian Yearbook of European Law and Policy (Volume 8 Number 8, November 2012). It is by Nika Bačić, entitled 'Asylum Policy in Europe - The Competences of the European Union and Inefficiency of the Dublin System.'

A number of (limited) references are made to the European Asylum Support Office.

The article's full text is freely available here, in pdf format. Below is an abstract:

"This article demonstrates how the transfer of competences in asylum policy from Member States to the European Union, although guided by the objective of improving and harmonising diverse standards, has not resulted in a satisfactory level of refugee protection.

The claim is, on the contrary, that it has resulted in an uneven sharing of responsibilities for asylum seekers between Member States and an overall deterioration in the guarantees of fundamental rights in EU asylum-granting procedures. The article analyses the Dublin II Regulation (establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining asylum applications), which by failing to provide an effective mechanism for responsibility allocation has made the entire asylum system in the European Union dysfunctional and of questionable conformity with the Geneva Convention of 1951 and other international standards of protection.

The final part of the article examines the new Commission proposal for amendments and improvements to the current Regulation and shows how the Union has once again missed the chance to create a more efficient and balanced responsibility-sharing system which would consequently provide better protection to asylum seekers and thus better fulfi ll the objectives of the Geneva Convention."

Greece, EAC, vacancies, Consultations...& we're still looking for an intern!

2013-03-20T19:10:00.001+01:00

After some weeks of absence, we're back with a gathering of recent updates. We've had some problems with our overseas EASO Monitor Intern, so in the coming days we'll be looking through the applications we had received to recruit another.

Press release from EASO dated 7th March, 'EASO and the Greek government sign agreement to extend EASO support to Greece until December 2014.' News of this extended support to Greece is welcome, given the extremely dire situation in Greece and the particularly serious impact of the financial crisis on migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees. We would be in a better position to comment on EASO's involvement in Greece if we would be given access to the Greece Operating Plan...as mentioned in earlier posts, our requests for access were rejected.

Publication by EASO of its Annual Consultation Calendar. This is also excellent news. In the first meeting of the Consultative Forum, a number of NGOs had specifically asked for such a calendar, in order to facilitate civil society's contribution to EASO's activities in a timely and effective manner.

As notified in an earlier post, EASO opened its 2014 Work Programme for public consultation, yet more welcome news from the Agency. The consultation deadline is now passed; we hope that some of you managed to get your feedback in on time (unlike us!). We cannot say whether late feedback would or would not be accepted...the best way to know could be by trying...

EASO Vacancy reminder...if you're interested in working with the European Asylum Support Office keep checking this page regularly. Maybe an RSS feed could be added to the page?

The EASO Management Board (Member States' representatives, the Commission and UNHCR) has a new Chairperson: Mag. Wolfgang Taucher (Austria). As we pointed our in several other posts, we think the biggest challenge for the Management Board is to steer away from Agency micromanagement, in order to ensure it does not impede the Executive Director's carrying out of his duties in an independent and impartial manner.

Do you want to attend a course of the European Asylum Curriculum (EAC)? Check out the 2013 timetable, that also includes the deadlines for applications. The listed modules are 'train the trainers' sessions, and from we understand EAC remains a tool only open to Member State representatives. This is a pity, as we're sure many non-governmental actors could benefit from such targeted and good quality courses. Again, we cannot confirm how EASO would react to EAC requests from non-governmental actors...how about trying?

EASO January/February Newsletter

2013-02-21T13:36:00.000+01:00

The European Asylum Support Office has just published its January and February Newsletter, covering the following topics:

EASO & Greece;
Training activities for 2013;
New asylum instruments under CEAS;
Early Warning and Preparedness System;
Country of Origin Information portal;
Courts & Tribunals;
...pictures & notices.

You can also subscribe to the newsletter & receive it directly in your inbox.

Enjoy!

Open consultation for EASO's 2014 Work Programme

2013-02-12T13:02:00.001+01:00

We just received news that EASO's Executive Director has launched a consultation process on the Draft Outline of the EASO Work Programme 2014, a process which we very much welcome and encourage you all to participate in.

Further information on the consultation can be obtained from EASO's site, including the draft document. All feedback should be sent to consultative-forum@easo.europa.eu by 1st Mach 2013.

In case you were wondering why we've been so silent, it's essentially because it's becoming increasingly difficult for us to cope with our projects and the EASO Monitor. Today we filtered through the applications recieved for the EASO Monitor Intern position, and the selected candidate should be getting onto the Monitor in the coming days.

We're greatly looking forward to welcoming our new intern on board, and hope we'll be in a better position to offer you a more efficient and interesting blog!

ECRE intra-EU solidarity paper: emphasising the true aim of solidarity

2013-02-02T02:21:00.002+01:00

The European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) has just published an extremely interesting and analytical document, 'Enhancing Intra-EU Solidarity Tools to Improve Quality and Fundamental Rights Protection in the Common European Asylum System.'

As you probably recall, intra-EU solidarity has featured a number of times on this blog, also here. This is not only because of its particular relevance to our own national context (Malta), but also - and more importantly - because the core aim of the European Asylum Support Office is in fact solidarity, in its broad sense..."support is our mission."

ECRE's document is a thorough exposition and analysis of several on-going discussions, and attempts to tackle the several elements of solidarity that are regularly raised in these talks. These range from the relatively new Early Warning Mechanism, intra-EU relocation of international protection beneficiaries, joint processing of asylum applications and sharing of capacity (resource and technical).

Each section ends with a list of recommendations, all gathered at the document's end.

Given the subject-matter, it is evident and expected that EASO's features prominently in throughout the document. Examples of EASO-specific recommendations include the three below, but clearly a full and proper reading of the document is strongly suggested, also for its relevant to broader CEAS discussions:

"Recommendation

As a key instrument to enhance solidarity in the field of asylum, EASO must be properly resourced to reflect the importance and variety of its tasks and its role as a key player in enhancing solidarity and quality in the CEAS.

Recommendation

EASO must make full use of the wealth of expertise and experience NGOs have acquired through their work with asylum seekers. EASO must further invest in developing efficient tools and structures to deepen the dialogue with civil society, including an e-platform for consultation. Direct interaction with the Management Board must be established in particular with regard to the feedback and suggestions provided by the Consultative Forum under Article 51 EASO Regulation.

Recommendation

The Fundamental Rights Agency must systematically monitor and assess EASO’s work in the area of practical cooperation and support to Member States subject to particular pressure as to their compliance with the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights. Such assessments and specific recommendations to EASO should be included in the annual report on EASO’s activities."

The document (.pdf) can be downloaded from the link provided in ECRE's Weekly Bulletin of 1st February.

Do you want to join the EASO Monitor team?

2013-01-16T11:35:00.002+01:00

Since our birth in March 2011, our workload here at aditus foundation has become more intense and challenging. We're involved in several projects and activities, not only in the area of migration/asylum but also in other sectors of human rights interest.

It's great that we've grown and established ourselves as a lead human rights NGO in Malta...and we think now it's time that the blog also grew to better cope with the increased volume of information related to EASO. Our aims remain those of providing accurate, updated and interesting reviews of EASO's activities.

If you're interested in joining our team, take a look at the Intern notice and get in touch with us for more information or to apply

Best wishes from us all for 2013!

Neil

Job opening in UNHCR's Liaison Office to EASO

2012-12-18T16:51:00.000+01:00

UNHCR is currently advertising a job vacancy for a Senior Liaison Assistant to EASO, to work together in the Agency's EASO Liaison Office.

Full notice below, taken from UNHCR Malta's site. Best of luck to all applicants!

__________________________________________________

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malta is seeking a Senior Liaison Assistant (GL.5) to EASO Liaison Office - ref. 10019355

We are looking for a motivated and flexible team player to work under the supervision of the Head of the EASO Liaison Office.

Qualifications: Excellent secretarial and administrative skills. Good IT as well as information management, communication and coordination skills. Relevant post-secondary training. Knowledge of the European Institutions, EU asylum policies and practices and the developing CEAS. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, highly organised and a team player who is able to work independently.

Experience : a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience.
Languages : Complete fluency in oral and written English is essential. Knowledge of other European language(s) a distinct asset.
IT skills: Excellent computer skills, including advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred starting date: 1 January 2013

Applications must be accompanied by a United Nations Personal History Form (P-11) (available at http://www.unhcr.org/recruit/p11new.doc) and a letter expressing the applicant's motivations in applying for the post. They should be addressed to application to mailbox belbrhr@unhcr.org by 27 December 2012, clearly marked Ref. No. 10019355.

Only those candidates short-listed for interviews will be notified.

Consultative Forum's 2nd meeting: what do we think?

2012-12-07T00:33:00.001+01:00

On 26th November, EASO organised the second meeting of the Consultative Forum. We're listed on EASO's list of organisations, and of course being based in Malta hugely facilitates our attendance of these meetings...so I attended in representation of the organisation. In this post I'll try to summarise my main impressions from the meeting, with a separate post in a few days on the specific discussion I participated in regarding the Early-Warning Mechanism.

It was good to note that the total number of participants, particularly of NGOs, was not as low as originally predicted or expected. We did try attracting increased NGO participation in earlier posts, and we were told that EASO and also UNHCR tried to boost attendance figures. To avoid unnecessary repetition, I'll refrain from repeating much of what we've already commented on in relation to the apparent lack of mutual understanding and/or trust between EASO and NGOs.

This concern remains one of the Agency's big challenges, as also reflected in many of the thematic discussions held in the various workshop sessions where several NGOs strongly reiterated the need for EASO to guarantee that any interactivity will be worth the necessary time, effort and resources.

A recurring theme that seemed to underlie much of these discussions questioned the boundary between the roles of the Executive Director and the State-run Management Board, to the extent that in some workshops it was actually unclear whether the discussions and queries were being directed towards Dr. Visser and his team, or to the MS governments. It's evident that the importance of resolving this possible tension, and of delineating or clarifying this boundary extends well beyond the single issue of EASO/NGO relations into the very core of the Office's identity, in terms of profile, transparency, independence and ultimate success.

Here a short summary of the salient points made by Visser in his opening presentation:

Greece, clear signs of strong commitment to improve the asylum situation there, with real results being produced. Visser also confirmed the agreement with UNHCR, on the basis of which UNHCR will support the clearing of the asylum backlog in Greece. In this context, you should read the statement by UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants regarding his country visit to Greece;

Resettlement was not an original EASO priority, but the Office is now in a position to explore the area more actively, with refugee resettlement seen as an instrument in the Agency's toolbox;

EASO's fact-finding report on the intra-EU relocation project EUREMA is finalised and presented to the Commission. Visser was happy to point out that the Office went beyond the Council's original request and also explored the question as to why some EU MS chose to engage in bilateral - as opposed to structural - relocation exercises, and also why some EU MS chose not to participate in either form of relocation activity;

Second Country of Origin Information report on Afghanistan to be published before Christmas. In fact, we received this second report just yesterday...you can download it here, and the related press release here. We've also received a very interesting review of EASO's first Afghanistan report, to be found in the December Fahamu Refugee Legal Aid Newsletter;

Interestingly, Visser mentioned the production and use with the Greek authorities of country fact sheets to support their asylum decision-making. Not much information was given on which countries are covered, issues covered, etc...we'll see if EASO's willing to share these with us, in which case we'll share them with our readers;

European Asylum Curriculum training was well under-way, with it open to all MS as a real durable system spanning over a regular training calendar. New modules are in the pipe-line, and an update of some existing modules will be undertaken. There is also the thought of creating specific modules for judiciary training;

Quality in asylum decision-making remains EASO's primary objective, as the best way to truly harmonise policies and practices and as "an expression of the EU values we stand for" (Visser). It was confirmed that EASO was in talks with UNHCR to initiate asylum quality projects, along the lines of UNHCR's activities in the UK;

The new Early-Warning Mechanism is definitely the Office's top priority at the moment, and from what we gathered in the EWM workshop it will remain a top priority for quite some time. In his presentation Visser stated that the aim of this exercise is to obtain a true image/assessment of a current real situation so as to assess which form of support would be most appropriate in a situation of unexpected flows of asylum-seekers. As mentioned above, a specific post will be drafted on this workshop;

The future of the Consultative Forum will be largely based on e-networking, with more strategic use of the Internet. Also that the Forum is not limited to the December plenary meeting, but is an on-going process that sees NGOs being consulted on various issues throughout the year in the context of the specific meetings organised by the Office (e.g. on UAMs and resettlement).

François Crépeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants

For the same reasons we've tried attracting NGOs to actively engage with EASO, we're glad that we attended this second Consultative Forum meeting. Beyond the interesting discussions we had in some of the workshops, the useful networking with colleagues and the catching up with good friends, we would like to think that the meeting served as a potential launch pad for some of the NGO comments on EASO's operations and methodologies to actually reach the Executive Director, his team...and also (or primarily?) the Management Board. That's me being optimistic, because it's how I tend to be.

If I wanted to be pessimistic, I would have to say that the meeting left many of us with a lingering bad taste in our mouths because this second meeting actually confirmed many of our suspicions: that despite statements and efforts to the contrary, the Office seems to be a mere extension of the Member States...with the Management Board not limiting itself to general issues but engaging in micro-management, with a number of key Member States (guesses?) running the entire show.

And if I wanted to be an annoying pessimist, I would ask a number of queries since time did not allow us to present them during the meeting:

What is the real impact of EASO's activities in Greece, in specific terms? In fact, reiterating our earlier request for the EASO/Greece Operating plan (denied), is it possible for EASO to tell us what it is doing in Greece and why the decision has been taken (if at all) not to engage with any Greek NGOs?

Why did EASO draft, finalise and adopt an Operational Plan for the Consultative Forum without this being shared with the members of the Forum? Surely, had this been shared, discussed and finalised together EASO could have secured a higher degree of ownership from most, if not all, of us (I realised we've lost the link to this document...we'll share it in the coming days);

In this last-mentioned document, there is reference to a 'confidentiality agreement' Consultative Forum members will be required to sign. What is the rationale behind this?

During this second Consultative Forum meeting, there was a substantial number of government representatives. Whilst we can appreciate the advantages of this methodology to secure effective dialogue, we question the sagacity of this approach also since the Consultative Forum Operational Plan does not mention government representatives amongst the list of intended Consultative Forum members. Whatever decision has or will be taken on the composition of the Consultative Forum, its communication would be appreciated.

If you participated in the meeting and have any feedback at all to provide, please do leave a comment below, or send us an email on easomonitor@aditus.org.mt

EASO's November/December Newsletter

2012-12-01T17:59:00.000+01:00

EASO has published its November/December Newsletter. You can download it directly from the Office's site here.

EASO's fact-finding report on EUREMA I

2012-11-23T09:19:00.000+01:00

EUREMA is the EU's project facilitating the intra-EU relocation of beneficiaries of protection. We've provided details on the project in several earlier posts, including our own input on such solidarity exercises.

The Commission is currently reviewing EUREMA's first activities (EUREMA I), whilst its second set of activities are already underway attempting to relocate international protection beneficiaries. As part of this evaluation, the Commission had tasked EASO to conduct a fact-finding exercise into all the aspects EUREMA I, with a view to assessing and determining how future relocation activities could be structured.

EASO's July report on the fact-finding exercise can be found on its new site, under the Press/Documents section. We will definitely go through the document and come back to you with more detailed feedback. Just one preliminary comment.

A group of Malta-based NGOs had requested EASO and the Commission to include us in this evaluation, to give us the opportunity to share our experiences, lessons and concerns. Our request was accepted, and since then we've sent a number of reminders, hoping that the Commission will not finalise its evaluation without first talking to us.

We have a number of issues we want to raise with the Commission, regarding EUREMA's methodologies, criteria, process, impact on the ultimate beneficiaries and on Malta's asylum systems.

Updates on the 2nd Consultative Forum meeting

2012-11-21T11:00:00.000+01:00

The second Consultative Forum meeting of the European Asylum Support Office is now just round the corner...25-26 November (Valletta, Malta). This is the main event where EASO meets civil society, in its broad definition, to discuss its activities and receive feedback.

We've posted a number of our own commentaries on the Consultative Forum, the main observations relating to the sheer limited willingness of non-governmental organisations to actively engage with EASO, for various reasons. We're approaching the 2nd Forum meeting with a certain level of expectation, a level higher than that with which we approach last year's inaugural meeting.

This year we want to be given a clear map of how and when NGOs will be consulted in EASO's processes. We want to understand why NGO input was omitted from the Agency's Annual Report on the state of asylum in the EU, and be told whether we are to expect the same in next year's report. We would also like to know if NGOs will ever be granted the opportunity to comment on the Agency's future Work Programme before its actual finalisation and adoption.

Essentially, we would like to be told in an open and honest manner, whether NGOs should actually bother spending very precious time, money and human resources in engaging with the Agency. As stated in earlier posts, we're still of the opinion that, despite all the above difficulties, engagement with EASO remains necessary. But how much more effective would engagement be if it were to be not only 'necessary', but also worthwhile?

For those not attending the Forum but nonetheless interested in all things EASO, here you can find the working documents we've received in preparation of the meeting. You'll find:

2011 Annual Report (final);
2013 Work Programme (final in design);
Training update and new development plan 2013 (draft);
Training Strategy;
Consultative Forum Operational Plan (final). We find it particularly ironic that this last document is described as 'final'...when our information tells us that only a few eyes have actually seen it before this moment!

We've also asked EASO to share a list of those organisations attending the meeting. The list below is what we've received, to date. We're also expecting to receive a list of those organisations that have registered to be listed in the Consultative Forum, whether or not they will be attending next week's meeting.

UNHCR, JRS Malta, Caritas Europa, Danish Refugee Council, MAHR, JRS Europe, ECRE, IGC, Lithuanian Red Cross, Amnesty International, aditus, EESC, IARLJ, CCME, RCEU, Forum Refugies-Cosi, Helsinki Foundation for HR, NOAS, Asylum Aid, Belgian Refugee Council, Odysseus Network, ICMPD, Italian Refugee Council, Greek Refugee Council, Terre d’Asile, Dutch Refugee Council, Organisation for Aid to Refugees (CZ), Halina Niec Legal Aid Centre, Norwegian Refugee Council, CEAR, ERA, MEC.

EPs in Greece, JHA Council, END FGM...

2012-11-16T13:00:00.000+01:00

We've gathered a number of news updates for your attention:

Press release of 31st October from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) on the recent EP fact-finding visit to Greece, led by ALDE MEP Jan Mulder. During the visit a meeting with EASO was held;

25th October press release from the Cyprus Presidency summarising the October JHA Council;

In the 24th October report from the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs 'Draft report (Cristian Dan Preda) on the integration of migrants, its effects on the labour markets and the external dimension of social security coordination', the European Asylum Support Office is referred to on pages 8 and 9;

We've already posted a number of items on various projects and activities aimed at advocating for a gender-sensitive approach to asylum, and how these efforts have also been directed towards EASO. Yet since it's a subject for which we've shown also in our work at aditus foundation, we think there's no harm in reminding you of the activities of Amnesty International's END FGM European Campaign and how they have included EASO in their advocacy work;

No real news in this document, but useful as desktop reference...the Commission's pamphlet-style info-graphics document 'Asylum in the EU', giving an overview of several sets of statistics for 2011. EASO is included under the EU's operational assistance component.

EASO in 'The Researcher'

2012-11-14T14:00:00.000+01:00

A new article on the European Asylum Support Office has been brought to our attention by our friends over at Forced Migration Current Awareness blog (thanks!).

'The European Asylum Support Office: Role, Work Priorities and Some Future Challenges' is written by David Costello (Refugee Applications Commissioner and Irish Member of the EASO Management Board) in his personal capacity and carried in the October 2012 issue of 'The Researcher' (Volume 7, Issue 2).

What has Greece achieved so far?

2012-11-13T11:47:00.002+01:00

Dr Robert K Visser, EASO Executive Director, together with Minister Dendias,
Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection, signing the amendment to the EASO-Greece operational plan

We've just received this press release from EASO, entitled 'EASO delegation visits greece to discuss with the new Government the support that EASO is extending on asylum issues and progress made by the Greek authorities on the management of asylum and migration flows'.

For our readers who prefer the Greek version, I'm sure this will soon be uploaded on EASO's site. If not, get in touch with us and we'll e-mail it over.

EASO Director positive on solidarity conditionality?

2012-11-12T14:39:00.000+01:00

On 29th and 30th October we attended the ERA Annual Conference on EU Asylum Law, that brought together practitioners, academics, institutions and NGOs working in the area of asylum. A number of interesting presentations were delivered, and we're happy to share with you the notes we took during that delivered by Dr. Robert Visser, EASO's Executive Director. Once we receive the actual presentation we'll also share this with you.

Notes from Dr. Visser's presentation

Overall, Dr. Visser went through the points he usually goes through during similar events. He highlighted EASO's supportive role, as opposed to a decision-making one, emphasising that the Agency is not authorised to deal with individual cases.

It was good to hear him underline the fact that, contrary to public perception, only a few of the world's asylum-seekers actually reach Europe and that the few who do actually reach Europe should be treated in a humane and dignified manner.

In relation to CEAS, and the set target-date for its completion (end 2012), he commented on the rapid developments made in this area since Tampere in 1999, that from having nothing at all the EU now has a set of legal instruments and a specialised Agency.

As stated in other events we attended, Visser emphasised that of the Agency's duties as stipulated in the founding Regulation, he views the provision of permanent support as EASO's most important role since these activities would work towards supporting MS efforts to reach the same level of legal and practical harmonisation. Having said this, individual MS support remains key as he noted that thoroughly prepared and designed asylum systems might not be equipped to deal with sudden changes or increases in flows of asylum-seekers, giving EASO's activities in Luxembourg as an example.

On a more interesting note, Visser gave some insight into EASO's possible role in the Early-Warning System that will form part of the new 'Dublin III' Regulation. Visser commented that EASO will not be involved in monitoring the quality of national asylum systems, but will be more focused on assessing their preparedness to deal with incoming asylum-seekers, primarily in terms of their capacity in relation to regular and exceptional situations. Understanding that such capacity goes beyond system quality, he said that the Office will look at the ability to respond quickly and effectively to changes. In this, EASO will be a neutral and objective player.

Yet in the same breath, Visser also said how EASO's activities in Greece are being implemented on the basis of an agreed commitment by the Greek authorities to assume their responsibilities and work towards improving the quality of their asylum system.

These latter statements prompted a question from us. On the one hand we are generally interested in understanding what will happen once CEAS is actually finalised, in terms of activities and efforts towards monitoring the transposition and implementation of the measures. Secondly, in view of our experiences with solidarity and intra-EU relocation efforts in Malta, we are keen to see a strong element of conditionality present in all EU-supported solidarity mechanisms and discussions.

We have often reiterated that solidarity in the field of asylum should not be limited to the EU MS involved, or to the protection beneficiaries being relocated/support, but that it should also (and possibly more importantly) benefit those persons remaining in the first EU MS. Essentially we strongly advocate the idea that solidarity should not come for free, that any EU MS benefitting for whatever form of support (joint processing, asylum support teams, intra-EU relocation, etc.) should be required to commit to improving their asylum systems, in accordance with their international and EU legal obligations.

So we asked Visser whether such conditionality could be envisaged, also since EASO's assessment as to the preparedness of any asylum system cannot ignore the fact that low-quality systems (in terms of quality of transposition/implementation) could also result in them being unprepared to deal with in-coming asylum-seekers. On this basis, any EASO preparedness assessment - however objective - would necessarily need to also assess whether the systems are in compliance with CEAS and other standards.

Summarily Visser said yes. He commented that although EASO has no formal competence in requesting improvements in asylum systems, the Regulation does empower him to refuse to provide solidarity and support...and that he is willing to use this discretion as necessary.

EASO & refugee resettlement

2012-11-08T16:34:00.001+01:00

We're pleased to bring you a guest post from Frank Mc Namara, Research Assistant on the Know Reset project. The post gives an overview of the project, and focuses on the role of EASO in the resettlement of refugees in the EU.

Many thanks to Frank for this post, and well done for the excellent work on the project!

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Know Reset represents “Building Knowledge for a Concerted and Sustainable Approach of Refugee Resettlement in the EU and its Member states”. The project is funded by the European Commission DG Home Affairs and aims at promoting good practice in the field of resettlement in EU Members States. The project is led by the European University Institute in Florence and ECRE (European Council on Refugees and Exiles, Brussels) is a partner.

Know Reset aims to map and analyse the current policy framework and practices in the area of resettlement in the 27 EU Member States. Building on past and current projects across Europe that collect and present resettlement practices, Know Reset goes one step further into the analysis and tries to identify gaps and challenges and explore the potential to enhance resettlement - in other words how can Europe do more and better resettlement?

The on-going research is presented through the project’s website. This online research resource provides policy-makers, key stakeholders and the public at large with a unique and indispensable study tool and a broad, European-wide, overview of resettlement.

Consideration of resettlement in Europe overlaps with the, still developing, workload of the EASO. Among the aims of the EASO is to “develop practical cooperation among EU States on asylum, by facilitating exchange of information on countries of origin, by providing EU States with support for translation and interpretation, training of asylum officials and assisting in the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection.” ‘Relocation’ is therefore well established as being part of the work of the EASO.

In addition to this, a Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 2 September 2009 on the establishment of a joint EU resettlement programme [COM(2009) 447 final – Not published in the Official Journal] provides for a key role for the EASO in the resettlement of refugees in the EU.

Malta, the home of the EASO, has been the venue of an EU relocation pilot project named EUREMA. This relocation is an intra-European initiative which takes internationally protected individuals from one Member State and finds another Member State willing to accept these individuals. An emerging role of the EASO is in evaluating the relocation pilot project as can be seen from the EASO’s September newsletter. Click here for a previous post on EASO Monitor with regard to EUREMA and here for a recent post on the EASO Monitor with regard to Intra-EU relocation of protection beneficiaries.

It has been made clear by the Commission in its Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the establishment of a joint EU resettlement programme (page 3) that, unlike resettlement which is considered a humanitarian enterprise concerned with solidarity with third countries, relocation is a ‘burden sharing’ exercise, at the heart of which is solidarity between EU Member States north and south. This is an important distinction. Know Reset has gathered extensive data on both of these EASO competences (relocation and resettlement) in order to obtain a more holistic and well-rounded project. In doing so, it has become clear that there may be a danger of using relocation as a substitute for resettlement. This is a misperception that the EASO must be mindful of in its role in refugee relocation and resettlement in Europe. The friction between relocation and resettlement indeed points to the greater challenges in achieving solidarity within the Common European Asylum System. This has been an interesting preliminary result of Know Reset’s ongoing research.

It is envisaged that the EASO’s role in both relocation and resettlement will be a major challenge to the new agency in fulfilling the hope of human rights advocates that relocation is used as a complement to resettlement and not as a substitute. The EASO is set to play an important role in the quickly evolving position of resettlement in European refugee law and policy. It is a role of increasing importance and one which the Know Reset team is set to keep up to date and precise information on.

The Know Reset project will result in a comprehensive information set covering all EU Member States. Moreover, to get a full picture of resettlement practices, our experts are carrying out field surveys in three countries of first asylum: Kenya, Tunisia and Pakistan. Know Reset will explore the potential for developing resettlement capacity, extending good practices and enhancing cooperation in the EU.

Each of the States included in the Know Reset project has given food for thought for any practitioner, policy maker or academic who is interested in resettlement in Europe. Already the project has identified differing attitudes among Member States toward relocation – some advocate for it, certain States are opposed to it and still others seem not to differentiate completely between relocation and resettlement.

The interface between relocation and resettlement is indicative of the interesting and varied research results that have been produced thus far. As the Know Reset team’s research continues and expands, we invite practitioners, policy-makers, non-governmental stakeholders and the general public who are interested in resettlement, to visit the project’s website which is available here.

Executive Director meets Dutch Immigration Minister

2012-10-29T17:47:00.001+01:00

We've just received a press release from the European Asylum Support Office on today's meeting between the Executive Director, Dr. Robert K. Visser, and the Dutch Minister for Immigration, Dr. Gerd Leers.

JHA Council...thesis on EASO...upcoming ERA conference

2012-10-26T12:40:00.000+02:00

A few updates for weekend reading:

Read the Press Release from the current 3195th JHA Council meeting, although the references to EASO are rather scant;

The recent thesis of Miriam Schimannek entitled 'The establishment of the European Asylum Support Office and its impact on EU asylum policy', referred to us by our friends at Forced Migration Current Awareness blog;

As reminder of next week's ERA Annual Conference on EU Asylum Law, where EASO's Executive Director will be delivering a presentation together with other high-profile academics and practitioners. We'll be participating, and reporting EASO-related documents and elements.