What is the Dublin Regulation (EU) in refugee protection and what is a major criticism?

• A. It determines which EU country is responsible for examining an asylum application; criticism: places a disproportionate burden on first-entry states.
• B. It sets a uniform asylum policy across all EU states; criticism: lacks flexibility.
• C. It requires all states to accept asylum seekers without checks.
• D. It abolishes border controls within Schengen.

Answer: (A)

The Dublin Regulation determines which EU member state is responsible for examining an asylum application, typically assigning responsibility to the country of first entry or the state closest to the applicant’s entry, so that only one member state processes the claim and to prevent duplicate applications.

A major criticism is that this system places a disproportionate burden on those first-entry states. These countries often bear the heaviest load of arrivals, handling initial reception, screening, and fast decision-making, which can stretch resources, create bottlenecks, and lead to harsh conditions while transfers to other countries are arranged. The rule is about who decides the claim, not about how asylum standards are applied across all states, and it does not involve uniform policy or the abolition of border controls.