1. Will Europe give Asylum? 11 September 2009, Tampere, Finland Ecumenical Seminar Discussion on Asylum Ecumenical Council of Churches, Finland Doris Peschke General Secretary Churches‘ Commission for Migrants in Europe

2. 2 CCME Churches‘ Commission for Migrants in Europe is the ecumenical agency on Migration and Integration, Refugees and Asylum, and against Racism and Discrimination in Europe

3. 3 CCME‘s Mission CCME is the ecumenical organisation that serves the churches in their commitment to strangers, responding to the message of the Bible which insists on the dignity of every human being.

4. Basis for Asylum in Europe  World War II  Massive displacement  European Convention for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950)  UN Refugee Convention 1951/1967

5. EU and Asylum  Amsterdam Treaty 1999  Tampere Programme on Migration and Asylum 1999-2004  Temporary Protection 2000  Reception of Asylum Seekers 2003  Qualification and Status of Refugees and persons otherwise in need of protection 2004

6. EU and Asylum  Dublin II Regulation 2003  Eurodac 2002  Asylum Procedures 2005  Measures against irregular migration: impact on confidence in the asylum and legal system

7. Externalisation of refugee protection  Cooperation with countries of origin and transit  Readmission Agreements of the EU (Morocco, Ukraine, Russia)  Refugee protection in the regions, programmes since 2005/2006  Region of Great Lakes/East Africa  Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldavia  EU Border Control Agency FRONTEX

8. Fortress Europe?  For years, decreasing refugees and asylum seekers in Europe  Decreasing rate of recognition of grounds of asylum, restricted access to asylum procedures  Examination of the way rather than the reason for seeking asylum

9. Evaluation of EU asylum directives  Less refugees in most EU countries and the EU as a whole  Dublin II and Eurodac evaluation: Relative increase of cases in border countries in the South and East of the EU  Border countries do not treat all asylum claims if referred under Dublin II  Asylum Procedures Directive – EU Court of Justice, EP vs EU Council

10. EU initiatives against irregular migration - Cooperation between EU and EU Member States with Third Countries on limiting migration (Liaison officers for immigration, document verification prior to departure e.g. U.K.-France, U.K.- Belgium) - > Decison on a Network of immigration liaison officers (EC/377/2004) - Action Programme Return (2002) and financial instrument return (15 million € per annum since 2005) - Common Border Guard Units – European border agency FRONTEX (decided in 2004, seat in Warsaw), common curricula for border guards and financial instrument for border security - EU Directive Common Standards for Return

11. Churches‘ views and positions  The human being „created in the image of God“ deserves undivided dignity  „You shall treat the stranger among you as one of you“

12. Churches positions  fair and humane migration policy and treatment of migrants,  proper protection of refugees, fast but fair and efficient procedures looking into case details  Legal principle „in dubio pro reo“ also to be applied to refugees and migrants in irregular situation

13. Human policy and procedure  Refugees to have a chance to rebuild their lives  Clarity of status  Family life  Long-term residence status also for persons who cannot return after 5 years

14. CCME Rue Joseph II 174 B-1000 Brüssel Tel: +32 2 234.68.00 Fax: +32 2 231.14.13 E-mail: info@ccme.beinfo@ccme.be Web: www.ccme.be