More than 80 NGOs call on the new European Parliament to reject attempts to outsource asylum policies

9 Jul. () –

More than 80 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI), have called on the newly elected European Parliament to reject attempts by some members to “circumvent” or “externalise” asylum policies to countries outside the European Union, which would mean “dismantling” the “basic principle of international protection”.

“Attempts by states to outsource their asylum responsibilities to other countries are not new, but they have long been criticised, condemned and rejected for good reason. (…) Now that this legislative cycle begins, the European Union can and must take action that does not involve abandoning its commitment to the global refugee protection regime,” said Olivia Sundberg Diez, AI’s EU Migration and Asylum Officer.

This message has been echoed by dozens of organisations that have expressed alarm at a series of proposals aimed at preventing asylum applications from being examined “fairly” within EU jurisdiction.

“Whenever any of these programmes have been attempted, there has been a sharp increase in human rights violations, resulting in countless people being denied crucial legal safeguards and guarantees, being arbitrarily detained and held in an unbearable legal limbo, and costing taxpayers exorbitant sums,” the joint statement said.

In this regard, NGOs have urged to “stop making false promises and wasting time and money” on this type of proposals, recalling that the United Kingdom’s initiative to deport migrants to Rwanda “is collapsing.”

They also explained that this type of initiative sends a “dangerous signal” regarding the EU’s lack of commitment to the rule of law, international treaties and the global refugee protection system at a time when 75 percent of refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries.

“The EU must support migration and asylum policies that are humane, sustainable and realistic, and that benefit both people seeking safety and the communities that host them,” these organisations insisted.

The request came after 15 EU countries sent a letter to the European Commission proposing the external processing of these asylum applications, which Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as “innovative ideas” that deserved her “attention.”

The measures include some aimed at preventing the arrival of people in European territory through agreements with third countries “without paying attention to their human rights record.”