Presentation by Claus Folden (Head of Operational Support, European Asylum Support Office) on the occasion of the conference on Immigration – a source of wealth and duties for Europe organised by the EESC, the Council of Europe and the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council in Brussels on 15 March 2013.

1. Why Europe should accept asylum seekers and refugees?
Is this only a moral duty or also an (economic) opportunity for Europe?

2. Mixed Migration Flows
• Legal/Regular
• Need for International Protection
• Irregular
Refugees and asylum seekers account for only a small proportion of the global
movement of people, they frequently travel alongside other types of migrants (such as
economic migrants etc…)
Many of these movements are irregular, in the sense that they often take place
without the requisite documentation, use unauthorized border crossing points or
involve smugglers

3. International Law (Asylum is granted to people fleeing
persecution or serious harm in their own country and therefore
in need of international protection. Asylum is a fundamental
right; granting it is an international obligation, first recognised
in the 1951 Geneva Convention on the protection of refugees)
EU Acquis (Several legislative measures harmonising common
minimum standards for asylum: Qualification Directive, Asylum
Procedures Directive, Dublin III Regulation, Reception Conditions
Directive and EURODAC Regulation)

4. What is the Common European Asylum System
(CEAS)?
• The EU constitutes a single area where the right to asylum should be upheld by a
Common European Asylum System (CEAS), ensuring uniform statuses, high common
standards of protection and common features in asylum procedures for those in
need of international protection
• The CEAS is based on a set of common legal instruments (the “EU asylum acquis”)
and on the enhancement of practical cooperation, responsibility and solidarity
among EU Member States. In line with the Stockholm Programme, the adoption of
the five second phase instruments laying the legal foundations of CEAS will be
completed in early 2013

5. What is EASO?
The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) is an EU Regulatory
Agency that was set up with the aim of facilitating, coordinating
and strengthening such practical cooperation among Member
States and help to increase coordination of operational
cooperation between Member States so that the common rules
are implemented effectively so that Member States are better
able to provide international protection to those entitled, while
dealing fairly and efficiently with those who do not qualify for
international protection, where appropriate.

6. Who is an asylum seeker and who is a
refugee?
The terms asylum seeker and refugee are often confused.
An asylum seeker is someone who says he or she is a refugee and filed a claim for
asylum, but whose claim has not yet been definitively evaluated
A refugee is any non-EU country national or stateless person who is located outside
of his/her country of origin and who is unwilling or unable to return to it owing to a
well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership of a particular social group

7. Asylum applications (non-EU-27) in the EU-
27 Member States, 2001-2011

8. Number of decisions, positive & negative decisions

10. Successful integration is the key
Migrants – including refugees – can actively contribute to the economic,
social and cultural development of European societies. Their successful
integration into society in the host country is the key to maximising the
opportunities of legal migration and making the most of the contributions
that immigration can make to EU development
Although the responsibility for integration rests with the EU Member
States, the EU supports national and local policies with policy coordination,
exchange of knowledge and financial support

11. Granting protection to those who qualify for it is an
obligation and a possible mutual economic
opportunity