Fair distribution

The heaviest weight falls on small shoulders, writes Jim Brunsden in The European Voice:

Debate on whether EU member states should create a system for a fair distribution of asylum-seekers will become increasingly intense over the coming months. Countries on the EU's southern frontiers are preparing for an influx of people journeying illegally to Europe by sea over the summer, while France plans for the development of a common asylum policy during its presidency of the EU, starting in July.

The creation of a mechanism for fair distribution, known as burden-sharing, is strongly supported by organisations such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Amnesty International and the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE). But the idea has divided member states, raising questions about the prospects for progress despite the impetus for action..

French minister Brice Hortefeux, whose country will seek during its presidency to extract clear commitments from member states on the future development of policy in this area – through the creation of a European pact on immigration and asylum – has said that he sees the need for a burden-sharing mechanism.

Current evidence, however, suggests that solidarity is in short supply. The launch of a six-month mission by Frontex, the EU's border control agency, designed to intercept people trying to reach Europe illegally, is currently on hold because of a disagreement between France, Germany, Italy and Malta over who should take responsibility for looking after migrants that are picked up in the central Mediterranean.

Malta has long been concerned that Libya's attitude has left it facing disproportionate responsibilities, as it is the closest safe haven for people otherwise at risk of drowning. Its concerns led it to propose, in June 2007, an EU-wide burden-sharing scheme. The idea is that immigrants rescued at sea would be transferred between member states on a proportional basis, according to an agreed system. Malta's proposal, however, has so far faced opposition in the Council of Ministers.

In the absence of such a scheme, tiny Malta is obliged to process asylum claims in a volume clearly out of proportion to bigger member states with bigger populations. EU rules require that, if an asylum-seeker has “irregularly crossed” the EU border, responsibility for processing their application should fall on the first member state they reach. Malta received 1,379 applications for asylum in 2007, according to figures compiled by the UNHCR, far more than, for example, Romania, which received 659, or Bulgaria with 975...