(Brussels) The European Churches prepared 14 pages of comments on the European Commission’s proposal to reform the common asylum system (Dublin IV). As written by a dozen of Christian organisations and associations, including the Commission of EU Bishops Conferences (Comece) and the Churches’ Commission for migrants in Europe (Ccme), the EU proposal “has been submitted at a time in which the countries are mainly concerned about reducing the inflows of migrants and refugees in Europe rather than dealing with the substantial deficiencies of the current system”. According to the Churches, there is the need first and foremost to “bring confidence and cooperation back between the member states” and offer “fair opportunities of protection and chances to the refugees, so that they can rebuild their lives decently and permanently”. There are careful arguments explaining why the pre-Dublin procedure provided for by the Reform is ineffective, if not actually detrimental; that the proposals for family reunions might “extend the current waiting times” or that some of the measures for unaccompanied children are still inadequate. There is the demand not to leave the bureaucratic burden on the first port of call and take into account the “needs, preferences and features of those people who ask for protection, as criteria to find the best places” to take them in, not least for a better social inclusion: “refugees and people who seek protection are not commodities to be crammed in warehouses”.