Brussels – (dpa):
Reforms to the European asylum system, known as the Common European Asylum System (CEAs) and which have been negotiated at EU level for many years, come into force on Friday.
The tightening of immigration rules aims to use more effective measures at Europe’s external borders to prevent asylum seekers from moving within the European Union, for example traveling from Greece or Italy to Germany.
The border procedures are specifically aimed at enabling faster asylum decisions and more consistent deportations, and people with little chance of receiving a positive asylum decision in particular will go through such an accelerated procedure, which has a maximum duration of 12 weeks.
During that period, they may be required to stay in special reception centers established primarily by European Union countries at the external borders.
This measure is intended above all to prevent secondary migration, under which asylum seekers move independently to another European Union country after registering for the first time in a member state of the bloc.
At the same time, countries located at the EU’s external borders will not be left to face the large numbers of refugee arrivals alone, as a mechanism known as the “Solidarity Mechanism” aims to distribute the burden among member states, and provides support through financial contributions, in-kind contributions, or transportation of asylum seekers.
Germany is not required to pay any amounts to an already negotiated solidarity fund for the current year, as the large number of asylum seekers it received who were originally the responsibility of other countries are counted among Germany’s obligations.
