The European Parliament on Wednesday approved new rules to better assist those seeking refuge in the European Union, paving the way for a common asylum system that has been almost 15 years in the making, dpa reported. But the legislature also approved measures that could restrict other migrants, as it gave members of the free-travel Schengen area further leeway to reinstate border checks. Politicians denied, however, that this would hamper free movement, arguing that the reforms also allowed for the introduction of more safeguards against border controls. "You have to have rules in place to deal with major emergency situations, and it's better we have rules that all member states agreed to, with appropriate oversight and monitoring," Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter, who helped broker the changes, said last week. The reforms will allow Schengen's 26 member states to set up border controls for renewable six-month periods - up to a maximum of two years - when other countries fail to secure their outer borders to such an extent that it puts the entire bloc at risk. Earlier, countries could only reinstate border checks for up to 30 days when there was a serious threat to public policy or internal security. The EU has long been a destination not just for migrants seeking work or a better life, but also people escaping persecution at home. Some 330,000 people applied for asylum in the bloc last year. But they faced differing treatment depending on the EU country in which they requested asylum. The new rules, which are to take effect over the next two years, will limit how long and under what conditions asylum seekers can be detained; let them look for work in the EU sooner; and force member states into making decisions on asylum applications more quickly. The changes also foresee more appeal rights for asylum seekers, who can no longer be transferred within the EU to countries where they would face "inhuman or degrading treatment" - as has been the concern in Greece. Minors will be granted more protection. But the reforms will also controversially give police access to the stored fingerprints of asylum seekers if they are needed for a criminal investigation. Britain, Denmark and Ireland will not implement most of the reforms, under provisions that allow them to opt out of some EU rules. The bloc's other countries have to comply. German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich has said that the changes will lead the EU to have "the most modern refugee laws in the world."
