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The Common European Asylum System is in the process of being reformed. What about the system needs to change and can an agreement of the EU Member States be expected? A review of the Commission’s new policy proposal.

Following up on the first informal thematic session entitled “Human rights of all migrants, social inclusion, cohesion and all forms of discrimination, including racism, xenophobia and intolerance that took place 8-9 May in Geneva, we are featuring selected examples and illustrations in this blog. We feature selected local level examples and illustrations to offer inspiration and help inform the discussion and debate on how the global compact for migration can set out to address its commitments in the fields of human rights, social inclusion and cohesion, battling discrimination and intolerance.

On 12-13 October 2017, the global migration compact process continues in Geneva with the sixth informal thematic session on irregular migration and regular pathways, including decent work, labour mobility, and recognition of skills and qualifications. UN Member States, intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental and civil society actors will gather to collect input and recommendations on these topics to inform the development of the global compact on migration.

This year will be remembered as the year in which an unprecedented number of arrivals of refugees and migrants lead to a crisis in the EU. This blog gives a chronological overview of key incidences and policy responses by selected European countries.

State cooperation on migration and mobility has intensified significantly in the last decade, not least at the regional level where it can take the shape of fully-fledged formal mobility frameworks, such as free movement within the European Union, or economic cooperation frameworks that only facilitate specific aspects of mobility, or informal migration dialogues, such as Rabat Process or Budapest Process.

Only a few weeks left until the European Council’s imposed deadline for finding an agreement on the third generation of the CEAS will be due. At the centre of discussions, once more, is the Dublin proposal.

On 29 January 2018 the AU adopted the Protocol to the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community Relating to Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence and Establishment, and its Implementation Roadmap. The movement of people for work and trade is central to the AU’s mission of economic integration, which it views as a key pathway to development. The drive for the continental free movement of persons originates from the Organisation for African Unity Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa, 1980-2000, and is perpetuated by leading AU development instruments, including the Abuja Treaty, Agenda 2063, and the Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.

Just recently, discussions on the future of the Dublin Regulation have come to a halt. The Bulgarian presidency reacted by installing an expert group to elaborate a zero draft on the future of the Dublin system. To recall, the Dublin Regulation is one of the core instruments of what is altogether referred to as the “Common European Asylum System (CEAS)”. All key CEAS instruments (the Asylum Procedures Directive, the Qualification Directive, the Reception Conditions Directive as well as the Regulation on the European Asylum Support Office (EASO)), are under discussion again along with the Dublin Regulation. The new legal framework shall find an agreement by the end of the Bulgarian presidency in June 2018.

The approach of states to managing immigration and asylum relies to a significant extent on the assignment of categories to people entering from abroad. Yet many adults and children travelling along migration routes do not fit neatly into just one of these categories. A new ICMPD Working Paper examines the challenges, and some possible ways forward, in dealing with the nexus between asylum, migrant smuggling and human trafficking in mixed migration contexts.

How can migration partnerships be improved to strengthen migration cooperation and governance? 

Community sponsorship’s ability to foster networks for refugee support lies at the core of its value proposition. How can network building enable the potential of community sponsorship to be more fully tapped?

Takeaways from the Vienna Migration Conference 2021, held 19-20 October 2021

Geopolitics is accelerating reform of the EU’s border and asylum regime. An external European frontier that once only existed on paper is taking shape. And Lukashenko’s hybrid attack may have accidentally given birth to the Union’s migration foreign policy.

Increasing the enrolment and retention of international refugee students can offer European countries and labour markets future talented workers, while at the same time expanding mobility opportunities that enable refugees to develop their skills and access employment opportunities.

This Thursday, 3 March 2022, an Extraordinary Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council meeting is expected to vote on a proposal by the European Commission to activate the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive for the first time for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. There are good reasons to do so. 

Over 2 million people have fled across Ukraine’s borders following Russia’s invasion on 24 February. Right now, attention is understandably focused on their entry and reception. But soon the EU will need to consider how to best help these newcomers settle in. Last week’s activation of the Temporary Protection Directive gives (mainly) Ukrainians the right to access key integration-related services and employment. National administrations now face an enormous challenge to make such access a reality.

The activation of the Temporary Protection Directive provides Ukrainian refugees with immediate access to employment in the EU. Skills assessments and competence checks are important tools to steer the first phase of labour market inclusion. Their aim is to match refugees’ skills with labour market demands to identify additional training needs and avoid underemployment, brain waste and brain loss.

Takeaways from a senior expert discussion on 1 December 2021

European emigrants have been among those returning home during the pandemic. COVID-19 presents an important window of opportunity for origin countries to retain some of this returned talent.

The majority of the nearly 7 million Ukrainian refugees who have left their country since the outbreak of conflict in February 2022 are women who seek protection in neighbouring countries. Many of them are currently located in national capitals or large cities. Recent discussion on how to relieve the pressure on the infrastructure of these cities has focused on accommodating refugees in rural areas. Migration and integration research highlights several important aspects regarding the integration of refugees in rural areas.

As governments seek to address challenges and seize opportunities connected to trans-border mobility, policy debates have identified migration partnerships as integral to achieving progress. The concept has indeed evolved from a mere buzzword to a comprehensive instrument of international migration governance based on widely accepted tenets and numerous concrete tools. The principles are clear: Migration partnerships need to (1) build upon mutual trust and joint objectives, (2) guarantee a fair distribution of rights and obligations and (3) ensure that the costs and benefits are absorbed equally by all parties. Partnership, moreover, must be practised at all levels of migration governance, entailing joint agenda setting, political and technical cooperation and shared operational delivery.

A wealth of stakeholder ideas oriented around bolstering migration partnerships along key routes to Europe were brought to the fore during the Vienna Migration Conference 2021. More effective migration management will require robust frameworks and formats that enhance engagement across borders. But there is more than one perspective on what this means in practice.

Narratives are among the most important determinants of public attitudes and behaviour – and a powerful source of (mis)perceptions. Migration narratives are shaped mainly at three levels of governance: international, national, and local. This article, introduces the concept of “governance of migration narratives”, examining three key questions: How do actors operating at the different levels craft and disseminate migration narratives?; How do these actors interact with one another?; and How does this interaction impact policymaking?

The war in Ukraine is having far-reaching repercussions on many countries around the world, including in Africa, where it is affecting food security, job markets and energy prices. This article investigates the early impact of the war on food shortages across Africa and what it could mean for displacement in the continent and beyond.

Ukraine presented its application for EU membership on 28 February 2022, five days after Russia’s military aggression. Moldova and Georgia followed suit on 3 March 2022, both applications being tabled in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. These developments bring important implications for the region’s migration policies, practices, and prospects.