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T h e. D y n a m ic s. o f. A s y l u m. a n d. B u r d e n -. S h a r i n g. –. C a s e. Stud i e s. o f. M a l t a. a n d. C y p r u s. St r u ct u r e o f Di s c us s io n :. •. The Pr i nci p le of B u r den - Shar i ng: Does it e xi s t. in. the E U? How does the EU

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  1. The Dynamics of Asylum and Burden- Sharing – Case Studies of Malta and Cyprus

  2. StructureofDiscussion: • ThePrincipleofBurden-Sharing:Doesit exist in the EU? How doesthe EU responsibilities? share the asylum • TheEUPerspective • TheNationalPerspective Cyprus :CaseofMaltaand • ConcludingRemarks

  3. AsylumBurden-Sharing • “Burden-sharingappearstobeafairlyself-explanatoryterm implyingacollaborated,equitableandfairliftingofaheavy loadorweight.Theburdensignifiesthensomethingthathas tobedealtwithandcannotorshouldnotbeignored.” Theasylumburden-sharingprincipleoriginatedinthe1951 RefugeeConvention Theunequaldistributionofasylumseekershasalwaysbeena centralissuefortheEuropeanstatesandforthepolicymakers TheEUMemberStateshavetheobligationtorespectthe legalinstruments–toshoulderresponsibilityandrespectthe asylumseekers’rights • • •

  4. TypesofBurden-Sharing •ThreeBurden-SharingMechanisms: 1.SharingPeople–thedispersalofasylum-seekers 2.SharingMoney–providingfinancialsupportandboostthe effortsoftherecipient States 3.SharingPolicy–settinga commonsetoflawswhichserveas theminimumstandardsfordifferentcountries

  5. EUAnalysis • ThefirsttreatyoftheCommunity;theTreatyofRomemakes noreferencetotheimmigrationofpeoplefromoutside Europe TheTreatyofAmsterdamprovidedalegalbasis forEUaction tolegislateimmigrationandasylumpoliciesonminimum standards • Italsoextendedthe powerof theCommission, the European Parliamentand theEuropeanCourtin thisfield– to createand coordinatepolicies TheTreatyofLisbonhasmadetheCharterofFundamental RightsoftheEuropeanUnion legally binding–itis likely to resultinamempowermentoftherightsofasylum-seekers withintheEU • •

  6. EUPrograms: • TheTampereProgramme: •1999-2004 •Set up theEuropeanRefugeeFundwithan allocatedbudgetof €216million TheHagueProgramme: • • • 2005-2009 Addeddimension– to regulate migratoryflows by controlling and securingthe Union’sexternalborders – FRONTEX Extended andaugmented theEuropeanRefugeeFund • • TheStockholmProgramme: •2010-2014 •‘EuropeanAsylumsupportOffice’

  7. TheNationalPerspectives– Malta&Cyprus AsylumApplicationsinMaltaandCyprus ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 Cyprus 956 4410 9860 7750 4550 6790 3920 3200 3160 1770 1630 Malta 474 570 1000 1170 1270 1380 2610 2390 140 1860 2060

  8. Thesizeoftheproblem: • Fortheperiod2007to2011,UNHCRhasnamedMaltaand Cyprusas thetoptwocountriesreceivingonaveragethe highestnumbersofasylum-seekersper1,000inhabitantsona globalscale:Maltarankedfirstwith20.1andCyprusfollowed with17.1applicationsper1,000peoplerespectively • EveryonemigrantinMaltaequatesto205inGermany,150in theUK,150inFranceand140inItaly

  9. Callsforasylumburden- sharing • MaltaandCyprushavebeenveryvociferousincampaigning forburden-sharingmeasures • MaltaandCyprusteamedupwithGreeceandItalytoform theso-calledQuadroGroup • Lobbying forurgentEUactionregardingthedisproportionate pressuresofillegalimmigration and asylum seekersand advocated theneed to put theburden-sharingprinciple andthe notionofsolidarityintoeffect MaltaandCyprushavealsocampaignedonindividuallevels •

  10. Burden-SharingwithMalta andCyprus • SharingPeople: • The systemremained on a voluntary basis, thus causingMalta and Cyprus tokeep ondemandingmore solidarityfrom their counterparts In2009Malta managedto introduce apilot project (EUREMA) fortheassistanceofintra-EU resettlementofsome ofits protectionseekers • Duringthe firstphase ofEUREMA,in2011, 255 placeswere pledged for relocation • In 2012, EUREMA phase 2 securedanother356 places DirectiveonTemporary Protectioninthe Case of MassInflux- establishedas a kind ofburden-sharingmechanismhasn’tbeen invokedsinceitsadoption,back in2001 • •

  11. Burden-SharingwithMalta andCyprus • SharingMoney: • • Differentfundshave helpedboth Malta and Cyprus Malta and Cyprusbothbenefit from the ‘Solidarity and Migration Flows’ programme, whichwas establishedin 2007 • This programmeincorporatesfour differentfunds: • • • • ExternalBordersFund(EBF) TheEuropeanRefugeeFund(ERF) EuropeanReturnFund EuropeanIntegrationFund

  12. EuropeanExternalBordersFund: 2007-2013 Year Malta (€) Cyprus(€) 2007 5,653,277.64 2,090,547.00 2008 9,743,356.84 1,982,610.25 2009 12,537,000.00 3,430,406.00 2010 13,032,000.00 2,333,000.00 2011 16,187,000.00 2,898,000.00 2012 23,083,000.00 4,132,000.00 2013 32,499,000.00 5,818,000.00 2014 112,734,634.48 22,684,563.25

  13. Burden-SharingwithMalta andCyprus • SharingPolicy: • As part oftheaccessionnegotiations,MaltaandCypruswere obligedto implementthe Schengenacquis as wellas the DublinII Regulation • Schengenprovisionsabolishedthe internalcommonchecks and transferredto the externalborders wheretheyhavebecomestricter “to safeguard internalsecurity andprevent illegalimmigrationby nationals ofStatesthat arenot members ofthe European Communities” • DublinII Regulation:holdsthat the firstState ofentry,is responsible to ensure that theasylum applicationand process are administered Thesesystemshave producedadditionalasylum burdenand responsibilitiesonthosestatesalreadyheavily burdened,bythe very factthat they are located at the externalbordersand have to deal withallthe asylum seekersandillegalimmigrants approachingtheEUthroughtheir territories •

  14. ConcludingRemarks: • AsubstantialincreaseofasylumapplicationsinMaltaand Cyprusintheyear2004andonwards TheEUhasalwaysbeenhesitanttopromoteandagreeonthe physicalrelocationofasylum-seekersfromonestateto another. •There isareluctance ofEUMember Statestowardsthephysical redistributionofasylum-seekers •Onan EUlevel,there were no‘sharing-people’mechanisms implemented, TheEUismoregeneroustowardsprovidingmoneytoMalta andCyprus EU lawshavebeenasourceforthelackofburden-sharing • Sharing-policy- contraryto distributingtheproblems,policy harmonization hasaddedextrapolicy restrictionstoboth states • • •

  15. Thank You

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