wr2014_web_0

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIAEuropean UnionAmid economic crisis and much contested austerity measures in many memberstates, discrimination, racism, and homophobia remained serious problems inEuropean Union member states. Roma, migrants, and asylum seekers are particularlymarginalized.The Council of the European Union acknowledged for the first time that more isneeded to ensure human rights violations within EU borders are adequatelyaddressed, with an ongoing policy debate focused on improving responses torule of law crises. Meanwhile, abusive practices around the EU continued withoutadequate action by EU institutions and member states.EU Migration and Asylum PolicyThe EU took final steps toward the creation of a Common European AsylumSystem with the adoption by the European Parliament (EP) in June of an asylumpackage, including recast versions of the Dublin regulation, the AsylumProcedures Directive, and the Reception Conditions Directive. While the packagecontains certain improvements, it provides broad grounds for detention ofasylum seekers, does not obligate member states to provide free legal assistanceat first instance, and fails to exempt especially vulnerable asylum seekers,including torture survivors and unaccompanied children, from acceleratedprocedures.The Dublin III regulation, in force as of July, leaves intact the general rule thatthe first EU country of entry is responsible for asylum claims while improvingsafeguards, including the right to information, a personal interview, and anappeal against a transfer decision. States must now assess the risk of inhumanor degrading treatment before transfer to another EU country. The EuropeanUnion Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled in June that member states must examineasylum claims by unaccompanied children present in their territory even if theyhave previously applied elsewhere.In November, the CJEU ruled that sexual orientation is grounds for seeking asylumin the EU if the applicant comes from a country where laws criminalizing431