Why the 5 Star Movement voted against the Dublin reform

The 5 Star Movement, an anti-establishment political party in Italy, made headlines recently when it voted against the proposed Dublin reform. The Dublin system is a set of regulations that determine the member state responsible for assessing asylum applications in the European Union (EU). While other parties have criticized the 5 Star Movement for its decision, there are several reasons why they took this stance.

Firstly, the 5 Star Movement believes that the Dublin system places an unfair burden on the countries at the EU’s external borders, such as Italy and Greece. These countries often receive a larger share of asylum seekers due to their geographical location, which puts immense strain on their resources and infrastructure. Instead of advocating for a more equitable distribution of refugees across all EU member states, the Dublin system perpetuates this imbalance. The 5 Star Movement argues that reforming the system should prioritize burden-sharing and create a fairer mechanism for redistributing asylum seekers throughout the EU.

Secondly, the party argues that the Dublin system fails to address the root causes of migration effectively. It believes that the EU should focus more on addressing the factors that drive people to leave their home countries, such as conflicts, poverty, and political instability. By tackling these issues, the 5 Star Movement asserts that it can reduce the number of people seeking asylum in the first place. Instead, the Dublin system mainly focuses on the allocation of responsibility, without tackling the underlying causes.

Furthermore, the 5 Star Movement argues that the Dublin system is flawed in its approach to human rights. Under the current regulations, individuals who have crossed multiple EU countries before applying for asylum can be sent back to the first country they entered. This practice, known as the “first country of entry” rule, can result in people being returned to countries where they may not receive adequate protection, such as Greece. The 5 Star Movement believes that this violates the fundamental principles of human rights and puts vulnerable individuals at risk. Therefore, the party voted against the Dublin reform to advocate for a system that upholds human rights standards.

Additionally, the 5 Star Movement criticizes the Dublin system for its inefficiency and lack of coordination among member states. The lengthy and complicated process of determining the responsible country for processing asylum applications often leads to delays and uncertainty for asylum seekers. This situation not only hampers their integration but also places an additional burden on the countries involved. The 5 Star Movement believes that any reform to the Dublin system should prioritize streamlining and simplifying the process to ensure a more efficient and coherent approach.

In conclusion, the 5 Star Movement’s decision to vote against the Dublin reform is driven by several factors. They argue that the current system places an unfair burden on countries at the EU’s external borders, fails to address the underlying causes of migration, violates human rights principles, and lacks efficient coordination among member states. While some parties criticize their stance, the 5 Star Movement believes that any reform to the Dublin system should prioritize fairness, addressing root causes, human rights, and efficiency.