European Parliament: LIBE Committee passes Resolution calling on the EU and its member states to guarantee Syrian refugees safe entry to the EU and access to fair asylum procedures

Date: 
Friday, October 18, 2013

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (the LIBE Committee) voted on Thursday 3 October in support of a Resolution on EU and Member State measures to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Syria. The Resolution will be voted on by the full Parliament, following a debate with the Council and the Commission, during the plenary session from 7-10 October. The LIBE Committee has released a press release concerning the Resolution, in which it urges the EU to step up its efforts to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis, and recommends that 'the EU and its member states should guarantee Syrian refugees safe entry to the EU and access to fair asylum procedures'. It 'calls on the EU to go on providing humanitarian aid and support and on Syria’s neighboring countries to keep their borders open'. EU countries are encouraged to make full use of money to be made available from the Asylum and Migration Fund and the Preparatory Action to 'enable the resettlement of refugees during emergency situations'.

The EU Commission is asked by the LIBE Committee to work on contingency planning, including the possibility of applying the Temporary Protection Directive, “if and when conditions demand it”. Under the the 2001 Directive, which so far has never been triggered, 'refugees would be granted a residence permit for the entire duration of the protection period, as well as access to employment and accommodation'. The EU is asked to 'convene a humanitarian conference on the Syrian refugee crisis'.

Read the Press Release here. The full Resolution will be published after the vote during the Parliament's plenary session from 7-10 October 2013.


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Tags: 
Syria
European Parliament
Libe Committee