Asylum seekers should be treated in the same way, irrespective of which EU country receives their application for asylum. At the informal meeting between the EU's ministers for justice and home affairs (JHA), which opened on Thursday in Stockholm, the ministers for migration discussed how the differences in asylum practice within the EU can be evened out. Today, which Member State the asylum seeker applies to often has more influence on the process than his or her grounds for protection.

”There was considerable agreement at the meeting that practical cooperation must be strengthened. A starting point must be to ensure asylum seekers, as far as possible, receive the same reception and have their applications assessed according to the same criteria, irrespective of which Member State they arrive in", said Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Tobias Billström at the press conference held after Thursday’s meeting.

The informal ministerial meeting is taking place at Stockholm International Fairs on 16–17 July. The Ministers meet in different configurations for talks on migration, justice and home affairs issues. Tobias Billström hosted the discussion on migration and asylum issues held on Thursday afternoon. During the two-day meeting, the overall question will be how the EU will conduct its work in the area of justice and home affairs over the next five years, which will result in the drawing up of a ‘Stockholm Programme’ during the Swedish Presidency.

Solidarity and greater dialogue

There is ongoing work to create a common asylum system in the EU, and the Union has made some progress. However, many questions remain to be solved. On Thursday, the ministers for migration discussed the issue of solidarity and the division of responsibility both among Member States and between the EU and countries outside the Union. It can be about showing solidarity with Member States and countries outside the EU that are experiencing heavy pressure in the area of migration. The ministers also want to see greater dialogue with countries outside the European Union about the connection between migration and development, for example when it comes to supporting expansion of knowledge and capacity.

Jacques Barrot, European Commission Vice-President responsible for justice, freedom and security issues, also participated in the press conference held on Thursday afternoon. He emphasised the importance of getting a common European asylum system into place by 2012 at the latest.

”Such a system is not just empty words.  It can help us receive those who genuinely need support”, said Jacques Barrot.

Proposal on the Balkans

In connection with the ministerial meeting, the Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy also commented on yesterday’s proposal from the European Commission that visa requirements be abolished for citizens from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

"This is a high-priority issue and we will do our very best to ensure that the Council is able to reach a decision on visa liberalisation during the autumn. Such a decision would be a concrete way of bringing these countries one step closer to the EU", says Tobias Billström.

The linchpin of the ministers’ discussions on Thursday – which didn't result in any definite decisions as the meeting is classed as informal – was strong support for the principle that the EU needs continued migration.

“We completely agree on the starting point of the Commission’s communication on the Stockholm Programme, that effectively handled migration can be positive for both the EU and countries outside the EU”, says Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Tobias Billström.

Altogether, some 300 delegates are attending the informal ministerial meeting at Stockholm International Fairs. This summer and autumn will see intensive negotiations to carve out the Stockholm Programme under the Swedish Presidency.

For more news on the meeting, see the links on the right.