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The new mechanism will enable a six month suspension of visa free travel for citizens of specified third countries. Two objectives of the mechanism are identified. (1) To encourage 'visa reciprocity', by reimposing visa requirements for nationals of countries that still impose them on EU citizens (e.g. the USA, which still imposes visa requirements on citizens from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Poland). (2) To 'halt substantial and sudden increases in irregular migrant numbers or unfounded asylum requests' from third countries ordinarily benefiting from the visa waiver.

The applicant is an Uzbek national who was arrested in Moscow in June 2010 and placed in custody with a view to his extradition to Kyrgyzstan. He was released one year later, but then placed in custody again pending his extradition to Uzbekistan where he was wanted on fraud charges. An asylum claim he had filed was rejected in May 2011. Mr. Bakoyev alleged that, if extradited to Uzbekistan, he would face risk of ill-treatment and unfair trial. He also complained about his two detention periods pending extradition on account of their unlawfulness and excessive length.

The European Parliament voted this week in favour of the new asylum legislation. The Parliament approved the recast versions of the Dublin Regulation, the Eurodac Regulation, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. See the press release of the European Parliament.

EUROSUR
The Irish Presidency has prepared a document containing the proposals of the Commission and the positions of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the EUROSUR regulation. The Presidency has also included comments and compromise text proposals and invites delegations to agree with them for the purpose of making further progress in the next trilogue with the European Parliament, which will take place on 27 March.