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EU: Tracking the Pact: Council papers on common asylum procedure and "voluntary return and reintegration"

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11 May 2021

Two recent Council documents: a consolidated version of the text of the proposed Asylum Procedure Regulation, currently being discussed by the Council's Asylum Working Party; and a discussion paper on the strategy on voluntary return and reintegration, recently published by the European Commission.

Common Asylum Procedure

NOTE from: Presidency to: Delegations: Amended proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (Council document 7890/21, LIMITE, 15 April 2021, 203-page pdf)

"This document contains an unofficial consolidated version of the text of the proposal for an Asylum Procedure Regulation, as amended by the Commission on 23 September 2020. It is provided for the convenience of delegations, following previous requests made by members of the Asylum Working Party."

The Commission's initial proposal is here.

Further reading

• European Parliament briefings: Returns Directive, common asylum procedure, pushbacks at the external borders (11 March 2021)
• First analysis of the EU’s new asylum proposals (28 September 2020)
• EU: The new "pact" on migration and asylum - documentation, context and reactions (23 September 2020)

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Voluntary Return and Reintegration

The Presidency's paper follows the publication of the Commission's recent strategy document, which - amongst other things - suggests that stepping up the detention of migrants at the border would help increase "voluntary" returns.

The paper aims to start the talks amongst national delegations on certain aspects of the Commission's strategy.

See: NOTE from: Presidency to: Delegations: Discussion paper on the EU strategy on voluntary return and reintegration (Council document 8155/21, LIMITE, 5 May 2021, pdf):

"At the forthcoming IMEX meeting on 12 May 2021, delegations are invited to share their views on the following questions:

1. 1. What is needed for Member States to best benefit from the tools (such as RIAT, Return and Reintegration Inventory and the EU framework on return counselling) at EU level?
   2. In addition to using common IT tools for referring assisted voluntary return and reintegration cases, how can the current varying approach be better aligned in terms of content and quality of support provided?
   3. What role should Member States have in ensuring ownership of third countries in the readmission and reintegration of their nationals?"

Further reading

• EU: Detention at the borders to increase "voluntary" return of migrants (5 May 2021)
• EU states keen for Frontex assistance in deporting unaccompanied children (25 February 2021)
• EU: Deportations and 'voluntary' returns: Frontex plans and new mandate options, "effective and sustainable reintegration of returnees" (27 November 2020)
• EU: Tracking the Pact: Presidency placing heavy emphasis on externalisation, deportations, border controls (6 November 2020)

Image: Council of the EU