Factbox: EU proposals on migrants

(ANSA) - Brussels, September 9 - The European Commission on Wednesday adopted proposals to address a rising tide of record migration through the EU's border countries. A mandatory quota system to allocate 160,000 refugees, fines for those who want to opt out, and speedier repatriation are among reforms presented by EC President Jean Claude Juncker in his State of the Union speech at the European Parliament.
    * EMERGENCY RELOCATION of 120,000 refugees from Italy (15,600), Greece (50,400) and Hungary (54,000). The redistribution follows a mandatory formula based on objective criteria (40% on the size of the country's population, 40% on GDP, 10% on the average number of asylum requests made in the past, 10% on domestic unemployment). The relocations will be applied to nationalities with an average asylum approval rate at the EU level of over 75%. The new proposal is in addition to one in May, which called for the relocation of 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece, or 24,000 and 16,000 migrants, respectively. The two schemes together will relocate a total of 160,000 people. The EU is allocating 780 million Euros from the EU budget to participating member states, including 50% prefinancing to ensure that public authorities have the means to act quickly.
    * TEMPORARY SOLIDARITY CLAUSE. If a state can not accept temporarily a decided relocation due to objective and justified reasons, such as a natural disaster, it will be required to make a financial contribution to the EU budget in the amount of 0,002 % of its GDP. The EC will analyze the reasons raised by the country and will decide whether they justify non-participation in the program for up to 12 months. In case of partial participation, the amount will be reduced proportionately.
    * PERMANENT MECHANISM FOR RELOCATION. The EC proposes a system of structured solidarity that can be activated at any time to assist member states facing emergency situations. These circumstances will be defined by the EC based on the number of asylum applications in the last six months, per capita, and based on the number of irregular border crossings in the last six months. The same objective and verifiable criteria will be applied to distribution the proposed emergency relocation. The permanent mechanism will take into account the needs, the family circumstances and skills of asylum seekers. Also in this case, the temporary solidarity clause will be applied.
    * LIST OF EU COUNTRIES OF SAFE ORIGIN. The new system will allow accelerated processing of applications from those seeking asylum from countries the EU considers secure, and rapid repatriation if the individual assessment of demand confirms the absence of the right to asylum. Brussels proposes to include Serbia, Turkey, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro on the list of secure countries.
    *BETTER EFFICACY OF REPATRIATION POLICY. The EC proposes an action plan that foresees strengthening implementation of the directive by improving information sharing as well as strengthening the role and mandate of Frontex. The EC has also adopted a manual that provides practical instructions for national authorities to carry out the repatriation of migrants who are not entitled to stay in the EU.
    * REFUGEE SUPPORT. The EC will communicate public procurement rules for refugee support. States must respond appropriately and quickly to the most urgent needs of asylum seekers as housing, basic necessities, services. The communication will provide guidance to national authorities on how to provide such services in a fast and efficient way in compliance with EU rules.
    * FUND FOR AFRICA. Brussels has allocated 1.8 billion Euros to establish an emergency 'trust fund' to deal with the root causes of irregular migration from the Sahel, Lake Chad, the Horn of Africa and North Africa. The fund will support these regions to develop more economic opportunities and better policies to manage migration. Brussels also expects an active contribution by member states. Spain, for example, have already confirmed its participation.
    * STRENGTHENED INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURES. The other side of the solidarity offered to states on the front line of the migrant crisis is enforcement of EU rules. To this end, the EC this week also increased infringement proceedings to be applied at 'hotspot' centres in member states heavily hit by the crisis.