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The Baltic States in the Context of the Dublin Convention and Related Asylum
Norms
04.Jan.02 - The Regional office of IOM for Baltic and Nordic States is today
releasing a report entitled "The Baltic States in the Context of the Dublin
Convention and Related Asylum Norms"
This report addresses an issue central to successful migration management in
the European Union Member States as well as in the candidate countries: the
provisions of the Dublin Convention and their relevance to national asylum
legislation and procedures.
The Dublin Convention has become a central legal instrument that addresses
crucial issues such as responsibility for asylum applications and "burden
sharing". The Convention, which came into force in September 1997, aims to
prevent multiple asylum applications in the EU by requiring asylum
applicants to apply for asylum in the first EU country in which they arrive.
In this context, "Dublin related" developments in the area of asylum policy
and legislation are of special relevance to the candidate countries.
This report focuses specifically on the following areas:
* Determination of State responsibility for asylum applications and
international standards.
* The Dublin Convention criteria and mechanisms in Baltic States' law
and practices.
* Current preparations in the Baltic States for the implementation of
the Dublin Convention.
Accession to the EU has been an issue of the utmost importance to the Baltic
States. Besides having fundamental foreign policy implications and
re-establishing the position of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the new
enlarged Europe, EU accession is also influencing domestic developments in
every aspect of life, including Justice and Home Affairs.
IOM technical co-operation in the Baltic States has important implications
for their accession to the EU. When they members, Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania will have to fully adopt EU standards and ensure sufficient
administrative capacity for their implementation.
Consequently, IOM assists the Baltic States with a number of projects aimed
at institutional strengthening and capacity building in the field of Justice
and Home Affairs. Ongoing EU legislative developments are also taken into
account in order to ensure that the Baltic States are ready to adopt and
implement EU migration-related norms at the time of accession.
IOM technical co-operation activities focus on the following areas:
* Policy, legislation and management aimed at strengthening national
legislation and administrative capacity.
* Technical assistance to establish and maintain border controls and
management systems; equipment and training. Specific attention is given to
the fact that the eastern borders of the Baltic States will, upon EU
membership, become the EU's external frontier.
* Establishment of information sharing systems between government
entities; provision of equipment and training; enhancing regional
co-operation and data-sharing capacity; and relevant targeted research on
migration trends.
This book, presented today to the international community, governmental
officials and academics in Riga by IOM's Director General Brunson McKinley,
was commissioned by IOM and written by Dr. Ryszard Cholewinski of the
University of Leicester, England with contributions from a team of experts
from Baltic States.
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