EU tries yet again to fix broken down asylum system

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Conceding after years of chaos and dispute that its costly asylum system is broken, the European Union announced Wednesday a major overhaul of the rules in the hope that more countries will finally be prepared to share responsibility for people landing on Europe’s shores seeking sanctuary or better lives. “The old system to deal with it in Europe no longer works,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels. The catch is that it would involve “flexible forms of support starting off on a voluntary basis.” Stricter requirements “based on a safety net” would be imposed should any member country be caught in a potential crisis like Greece was in 2015, when hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees made the short — but sometimes deadly — journey from Turkey. Von der Leyen said that the EU has agreed to set up a joint pilot project with the Greek authorities “for the management of a reception center.” She said a “task force will help improve conditions for people on the island in a durable manner.