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Caritas Europa encourages EU leaders to surmount differences on key provisions of the reviewed directive on reception conditions


Brussels, 19 March 2009 - The European Commission presented a proposal for amending the directive on reception conditions for asylum seekers to the Council and the European Parliament in December last year. Caritas Europa welcomed this proposal, as it brings important improvements to the directive.

“The European Commission has taken some steps in the right direction. These proposals are partially in line with our demands of human reception conditions for asylum seekers in the EU”, says Peter Verhaeghe, Caritas Europa Migration Officer.

The directive was adopted in 2003, establishing a set of common standards for the reception of asylum seekers in the European Union. Caritas Europa has been advocating for a review of this piece of legislation since its adoption, as it was judged to be too centred on repression and not guaranteeing the fundamental rights of asylum seekers.    

The proposal for amendments is therefore much welcomed. The document includes significant enhancement of key provisions such as the ones on access to the labour market and the use of detention.

     Asylum seekers at the controversial reception center of Lampedusa - Photo: Courtesy of Reuters/AlertNet 

Asylum seekers at the controversial reception center of Lampedusa 

Photo: Courtesy of Reuters/AlertNet

Concerning access to the labour market, the new proposal stipulates that asylum seekers will be granted access to the labour market no later than six months after having lodged their application, whereas this period of time can last for up to a year in the current directive. However, Caritas Europa strongly advocates for an immediate access to the labour market, once the asylum application has been submitted.

The proposal also aims at reviewing the detention conditions of asylum seekers. In accordance with UNHCR guidelines, Caritas Europa recommends that the use of detention becomes an exceptional measure limited to the shortest possible period. This measure would put an end to some currently ongoing abuses. 

According to the proposal the detention of unaccompanied children shall be totally banned. Caritas Europa is especially satisfied with this move, since it will put an end to an intolerable treatment of children in the EU.

Peter Verhaeghe explains that overall Caritas Europa agrees “on most of the Commission’s proposal, although the final text that will be approved by the Council and the Parliament could still include higher standards and more legal safeguards than the current one”.  

Caritas Europa, together with a group of Christian organisations, is preparing a comments paper on this directive. The document will be submitted to the Czech Presidency of the EU, representatives of the Member States and the European Parliament.

During a meeting with representatives of the Czech EU Presidency in December last year, Caritas Europa was informed that the Council might encounter difficulties to progress on the issues of access to labour market and detention. The organisation hopes that the EU decision makers will have the political courage to surmount their differences in order to reach an agreement that will safeguard a human treatment of asylum seekers.

 

For more information, please contact:

Peter Verhaeghe
Migration Officer
Tel: +32 2 235 03 96
Cell phone: +32 478 58 54 33 
pverhaeghe@caritas-europa.org
 
 

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