Avramopoulos touched on fears that the run-up to May's elections to the European Parliament will only harden a years-long impasse over asylum reform despite a sharp drop in migrant arrivals. "The upcoming elections should not paralyse us," Avramopoulos told reporters during a meeting of European Union interior ministers in Bucharest, the Romanian capital. Unity has proved elusive since efforts began in 2016 to reform the "Dublin rules", which stipulate that asylum requests be handled by the country where migrants and refugees first land. He urged EU nations to stop "this game which can put human lives in danger". Pending a breakthrough in asylum reform, the Commission, the EU's executive arm, is urging member states to adopt "temporary arrangements" setting out the responsibilities for each on disembarkation.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 07, 2019 19:06 UTC