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A common European asylum system

There is one asylum system for all countries in the European Union: the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). What does this system entail?

Guidelines

Within the European Union, several directives have been in force since 2012, which all countries must adhere to:
 

  • The Procedures Directive describes the minimum standards that an asylum procedure must meet;
  • The Definition Directive deals with the question of who is or is not a refugee;
  • The Reception Directive states the conditions that the reception of asylum seekers must meet;
  • The Temporary Protection Directive is about a temporary protection mechanism that comes into effect when many displaced persons come to the European Union at the same time. This guideline has not yet been used in practice.

Dublin-system

In addition to GEAS, the so-called Dublin system has also been introduced. This stipulates that the EU country where an asylum seeker first arrives, is responsible for his asylum application. So if a refugee arrives in Greece first, Greece is responsible for reception and asylum procedure.

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