Special needs of vulnerable asylum seekers not taken sufficiently into account by EU Member States

European Migration Network:

The degree to which EU Member States take into account the special reception needs of vulnerable asylum seekers does not fully meet the appropriate standards according to the synthesis report The Organisation of Reception Facilities for Asylum Seekers in Different Member States published by the European Migration Network (EMN).

Pursuant to Article 17 of the EU Reception Conditions Directive, vulnerable persons include minors, unaccompanied minors, disabled people, elderly people, pregnant women, single parents with minor children and persons who have been subjected to torture, rape or other forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence.

Development of control and coordination mechanisms will ensure minimum standards for reception conditions

While the reception procedures of most EU Member States include an assessment of the special needs of each asylum seeker—for example, regarding their accommodation conditions—the EMN report indicates that measures are required to ensure an appropriate minimum standard across all Member States.

The lack of harmonisation of reception systems currently results in asylum seekers receiving unequal treatment between EU Member States, and sometimes even within certain Member States. In the context of large numbers of asylum seekers, the risk exists that asylum seekers are accommodated in sub-standard conditions. Developing the external control of reception conditions and the coordination of reception between Member States can help ensure the harmonisation of reception conditions.

Real-time monitoring of accommodation capacity saves reception costs

A second key theme of the report is the capacity of reception systems in EU Member States to flexibly respond to changes in the number of asylum seekers. Based on the reports submitted by Member States, the best practices are managing the reception system with a special strategy, or the management of reception as a chain from reception to return or integration.

In Finland, the accommodation capacity of reception centres in relation to the number of new asylum seekers is monitored in real time. The utilisation rate of the centres’ accommodation capacity has been kept as high as possible (90%) in order to avoid underutilisation. The real-time monitoring of accommodation capacity and the high utilisation rate have resulted in a reduction in spending of EUR 14.5 million from 2011 to 2012 in the Finnish reception system.

Further information for the media

Riikka Asa, Senior Adviser, European Migration Network, The Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 (0)295 430431, e-mail firstname.lastname@migri.fi