The European Parliament adopted by 374 votes to 260, with 47 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund.

The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

The policy objective of the fund shall be to contribute to implementation, strengthening and development of all aspects of the common European asylum policy and of the common European immigration policy in line with the principle of solidarity and fair-sharing of responsibility, while fully respecting the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

In particular, it aims to:

- strengthen and develop legal migration policies on the European and national level in accordance with Member States’ economic and social needs;

- promote the effective integration and social inclusion of third-country nationals in complementarity with other EU Funds;

- contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effective, safe and dignified return, readmission and reintegration in third countries;

- ensure solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration challenges, including through practical cooperation.

Priorities

For this Fund, partnerships shall include at least local and regional authorities or their representative associations, relevant international organisations, non-governmental organisations, in particular refugee and migrants organisations, national human rights institutions and equality bodies, and economic and social partners.

In the implementation of the Fund, priority shall be given to actions which address the situation of unaccompanied and separated minors through early identification and registration and to actions carried out in the best interests of the child.

Funding

The financial envelope for the implementation of the Fund for the 2021-2027 period shall be EUR 9 204 957 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 10 415 000 000 in current prices). This shall be broken down as follows: (i) EUR 5 522 974 200 in 2018 prices (EUR 6 249 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the programmes implemented under shared management; (ii) EUR 3 681 982 800 in 2018 prices (EUR 4 166 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the thematic facility for targeted support actions for Member States.

Each Member State shall receive a fixed amount of EUR 10 million (instead of EUR 5 million) from the Fund's allocation at the beginning of the programming period.

Resources for resettlement and humanitarian admission

The amended text stipulates that :

- Member States shall receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each person admitted through resettlement and EUR 6 000 for each person admitted through humanitarian schemes. Where appropriate, Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons to ensure family unity ;

- each Member State shall receive a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each unaccompanied minor who is granted international protection in that Member State, provided that the Member State is not eligible for a lump sum payment for that unaccompanied minor under other circumstances.

It is proposed that the determining Member State shall receive refunding of the costs of reception of an applicant for international protection from the time when the application is made until the transfer of the applicant to the Member State responsible, or until the determining Member State assumes responsibility for the applicant.

Emergency assistance

The Commission may decide to provide financial assistance to address urgent and specific needs in the event of an emergency situation resulting from one or more of the following:

- an unforeseen large or disproportionate inflow of third-country nationals in one or more Member States, which places significant and urgent demands on their reception and detention facilities, child protection systems, and asylum and migration management systems and procedures;

- voluntary relocation;

- an unforeseen large or disproportionate inflow of persons in third countries, including where persons in need of protection may be stranded due to political developments, conflicts or natural disasters, notably where it might have an impact on migration flows towards the EU.

Where necessary for the implementation of the action, emergency assistance may cover expenditure which was incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application or the request for assistance, but not prior to 1 January 2021.

Information, communication and publicity

The recipient of Union funding shall promote the actions and their results by providing coherent, effective and meaningful information to multiple relevant audiences, including media and the public in the relevant languages. To ensure the visibility of Union funding, recipients of Union funding shall refer to its origin when communicating on the action. To this end, recipients shall ensure that all communications to the media and the public, display the Union emblem, and explicitly mention the Union’s financial support.

The Commission shall publish information concerning the development of the annual and multiannual programmes of the thematic facility. It shall also publish the list of operations selected for support under the thematic facility on a publicly available website and shall update that list at least every three months.

Annual evaluation and performance reports

By 31 December 2024 at the latest, the Commission shall present a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the Regulation and carry out a retrospective evaluation of the Regulation by 31 January 2030 at the latest.

By 15 February 2023 and by the same date of each subsequent year up to and including 2031, Member States shall submit to the Commission the annual performance report. These reports shall be published on a dedicated website and forward them to the European Parliament and the Council.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs adopted the report by Miriam DALLI (S&D, MT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF).

Subject matter

This Regulation seeks to establish the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

Objectives

The policy objective of the fund shall be to contribute to implementation, strengthening and development of all aspects of the common European asylum policy and of the common European immigration policy in line with the principle of solidarity and fair-sharing of responsibility, while fully respecting the Union’s and the Member States’ obligations under international law and the rights and principles enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

In particular, it aims to:

- strengthen and develop legal migration policies on the European and national level in accordance with Member States’ economic and social needs;

- promote the effective integration and social inclusion of third-country nationals in complementarity with other EU Funds;

- contribute to countering irregular migration and ensuring effective, safe and dignified return, readmission and reintegration in third countries;

- ensure solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility between the Member States, in particular towards those most affected by migration challenges, including through practical cooperation.

Funding

The financial envelope for the implementation of the Fund for the 2021-2027 period shall be EUR 9 204 957 000 in 2018 prices (EUR 10 415 000 000 in current prices). This shall be broken down as follows: (i) EUR 5 522 974 200 in 2018 prices (EUR 6 249 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the programmes implemented under shared management; (ii) EUR 3 681 982 800 in 2018 prices (EUR 4 166 000 000 in current prices) shall be allocated to the thematic facility.

Each Member State shall receive a fixed amount of EUR 10 million (instead of EUR 5 million) from the Fund's allocation at the beginning of the programming period.

Resources for resettlement and humanitarian admission

The amended text stipulates that Member States shall receive every two years an additional amount based on a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each person admitted through resettlement and EUR 6 000 for each person admitted through humanitarian schemes. Where appropriate, Member States may also be eligible for lump sums for family members of persons to ensure family unity.

It is proposed that the determining Member State shall receive refunding of the costs of reception of an applicant for international protection from the time when the application is made until the transfer of the applicant to the Member State responsible, or until the determining Member State assumes responsibility for the applicant.

Each Member State shall receive a lump sum of EUR 10 000 for each unaccompanied minor who is granted international protection in that Member State, provided that the Member State is not eligible for a lump sum payment for that unaccompanied minor under other circumstances.

Information, communication and publicity

The recipient of Union funding shall promote the actions and their results by providing coherent, effective and meaningful information to multiple relevant audiences, including media and the public in the relevant languages. To ensure the visibility of Union funding, recipients of Union funding shall refer to its origin when communicating on the action. To this end, recipients shall ensure that all communications to the media and the public, display the Union emblem, and explicitly mention the Union’s financial support.

The Commission shall publish information concerning the development of the annual and multiannual programmes of the thematic facility. It shall also publish the list of operations selected for support under the thematic facility on a publicly available website and shall update that list at least every three months.

Emergency assistance

The Commission may decide to provide financial assistance to address urgent and specific needs in the event of an emergency situation resulting from one or more of the following:

- an unforeseen large or disproportionate inflow of third-country nationals in one or more Member States, which places significant and urgent demands on their reception and detention facilities, child protection systems, and asylum and migration management systems and procedures;

- voluntary relocation;

- an unforeseen large or disproportionate inflow of persons in third countries, including where persons in need of protection may be stranded due to political developments, conflicts or natural disasters, notably where it might have an impact on migration flows towards the EU.

Where necessary for the implementation of the action, emergency assistance may cover expenditure which was incurred prior to the date of submission of the grant application or the request for assistance, but not prior to 1 January 2021.

Evaluation

By 31 December 2024, the Commission shall present a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of this Regulation in order to examine the effectiveness, efficiency, simplification and flexibility of the Fund. By 31 January 2030, the Commission shall carry out a retrospective evaluation.

Annual performance reports

By 15 February 2023 and by the same date of each subsequent year up to and including 2031, Member States shall submit to the Commission the annual performance report. Once accepted, the Commission shall make summaries of annual performance reports available to the European Parliament and to the Council, and shall publish them on a dedicated website.

PURPOSE: to establish the asylum and migration fund for the period 2021-2027.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: during the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, the EU budget has played a decisive role in managing flows of asylum seekers and migrants. The European migration agenda adopted in May 2015 stressed the need for a consistent common policy to restore confidence in the Union’s ability to combine European and national efforts to address migration issues.

In October 2017, the European Council reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive approach to managing migration flows , aimed at restoring control of external borders and reducing irregular arrivals and deaths at sea.

Drawing on the lessons from the past, the Commission, in its proposal for the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027, proposed to significantly increase the share of the overall EU budget devoted to migration and external border management by more than 2.6 times , including an increase in the funding allocated to decentralised bodies in this policy area.

The renewed Asylum and Migration Fund (AMF) shall build on the results and investments made with the support of previous funds: the European Refugee Fund, the European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals, the European Return Fund, and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the period 2014-2020.

CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation - presented for a Union of 27 Member States - seeks to establish the asylum and migration fund for the period 2021-2027 . Its scope is largely inspired by the current AMIF Regulation, while taking into account new strategic developments and the mandates of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the future European Union Agency for Asylum.

The Fund shall continue to support the EU's overall policies in the field of migration, integration and return, such as support to:

strengthen and develop the Common European Asylum System (including its external dimension); promote solidarity and shared responsibility between Member States, in particular towards those States most affected by flows of migrants and asylum seekers; support legal migration to Member States and encourage the development of immigration strategies that respect the integration process of third-country nationals; support capacity building in Member States and promote fair and effective return strategies as well as the development of partnerships and cooperation with third countries.

Support to Member States : in addition to a basic amount of EUR 5 million allocated to Member States at the beginning of the programming period, the financial envelope foreseen for the programmes of Member States shall be allocated based on a distribution key reflecting the needs and pressures experienced by Member States in the area of integration.

It is proposed to give 30% weighting to the area of asylum, 30 % to the area of legal migration and integration and 40 % to the area of countering irregular migration including returns. The Commission shall carry out a mid-term and a retrospective evaluation of this Regulation, including the actions implemented under the fund. A mid-term review shall take into account new or additional pressures.

The remaining 40 % should be managed through a thematic facility , which shall periodically provide funding for the support for specific actions, providing additional funding for dedicated actions of high EU added value. Specific attention shall be put on promoting effective returns; support for resettlement and the solidarity and responsibility efforts between the Member States.

Proposed budget : the financial envelope for the implementation of the fund for the period 2021-2027 shall be EUR 10.41 billion in current prices. The financial resources shall be used as follows:

EUR 6.24 billion for actions in support of Member States in migration management programmes implemented under shared management; EUR 4.16 billion for the thematic mechanism for specific actions to Member States, projects with a European dimension, and to address urgent needs.

It should be noted that the Commission proposal concerning the multiannual financial framework provides for EUR 865 million (in current prices) to the relevant decentralised agencies for the period 2021-2027.