Accra: Italy is effectively still blocking the return of asylum seekers from Germany and other member states, according to an EU report. In the first three weeks after a new EU asylum system entered into force, the Italian authorities refused 12 times to take back asylum seekers for whom they were responsible, according to an analysis released on Wednesday by the European Commission.
According to Ghana News Agency, the report highlights that the Italian authorities were not actively coordinating with other member states on the practical and logistical steps for transfers back to Italy. The commission acknowledged that Italy had made significant efforts to implement the new asylum rules, but emphasized that concrete steps were needed to ensure that transfers back actually took place.
The new asylum rules, which came into effect on June 12, focus on Cyprus, Spain, Greece, and Italy as the four countries with crucial EU external borders, which are entitled to support from other member states. In return, these countries are also expected to take back asylum applicants who have moved on in breach of the rules, for example to Germany. The principle behind this is that the member state responsible for asylum procedures is the one where asylum seekers first arrive in the EU. This principle had previously led to years of disputes between member states.
While states on the bloc's external borders felt burdened by the large number of refugees, countries further north such as Germany and France insisted on adhering to the existing rules. The EU asylum reform was intended to create a balance and resolve the dispute. A more extensive analysis of how well the new EU asylum system is working is scheduled for October.