The steps from Dublin III to Dublin IV

Abstract

In 1992, the EU established the Common European Asylum System, which is based on five central directives one of which is the Dublin regulation. The debate about a possible Dublin IV regulation started a long time ago, but the discrepancies among the member states’ interests are huge and it is hard to find a compromise. In fact, since the third and last update in 2013, there have not been any further changes. However, all parties agree that there is a need of reform and that the current system is unfair and inefficient. This paper wants to highlight future possible scenarios. The Commission presented a proposal in 2016 to reform the whole CEAS, which included a proposal for Dublin IV. The European Parliament had already adopted a position on the proposal of 2016, while the Council did not. The first part of the paper is dedicated to the current situation and to the reasons why the Regulation needs reform. The second section analyses the Proposal submitted by the Commission in 2016, and the related problems and reasons why this Proposal has not been agreed upon. Before reaching the conclusion, the third section explores possible alternatives of the Regulation’s future. It is difficult to say what will happen; theseare all hypothetical scenarios. However, it is fundamental to deeply analyse the suggestions proposed so far with regard to an eventual reform of the current regulation.