Publication

This brief discusses the scale of the numbers of refugees attempting to enter the EU in 2015 and makes a series of suggestions on what the EU can do to better cope with the numbers of people seeking asylum in Europe. These recommendations include, among others, 1) acknowledging that the Dublin system for asylum application does not work and that a new approach is required to deal with those seeking to enter the EU; 2) finding ways to ensure that refugees can arrive safely in the EU without risking their lives in unseaworthy boats or paying their life savings to smugglers; 3) agreeing on a system to distribute refugees which is fair for both the asylum seekers and the EU members states; and 4) establishing an agency that is responsible for ensuring the coherent and consistent determination of asylum claims across the EU.