Cuardaigh
Screening of third-country nationals at the EU's external borders
In September 2020, the Commission put forward a new pact on migration and asylum, setting out a comprehensive approach to European Union (EU) migration policies that links external borders, asylum, return systems, the Schengen area of free movement and the external dimension of migration. The pact includes a proposal for a new regulation on the screening of third-country nationals at external borders aiming to clarify and streamline the rules on dealing with third-country nationals who are not authorised ...
Resettlement of refugees: EU framework
On 13 July 2016, as part of the reform of the common European asylum system and the long-term policy on better migration management, the European Commission presented a proposal to provide for a permanent framework with standard common procedures for resettlement across the EU, to complement current national and multilateral resettlement initiatives. Resettlement is a tool to help displaced persons in need of protection reach Europe safely and legally, and receive protection for as long as necessary ...
EU pact on migration and asylum: State of play
In 2016, with unprecedented numbers of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers arriving in the EU, the European Commission proposed a package of reforms to the common European asylum system (CEAS). In June 2018, a broad provisional agreement was reached between the European Parliament and the presidency of the Council of the EU on several of the reform proposals. However, the agreement did not get the necessary support from the Member States. The reform stalled owing to persistent disagreements among ...
Enhancing the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs): Facilitating access to the EU and supporting HRDs from third countries
This study provides a comprehensive exploration of measures aimed at facilitating access to and expanding support for human rights defenders (HRDs) in the European Union (EU). Its introduction deals with the fundamental issue of defining HRDs which, in turn, will enable visa, borders and migration officers to apply the various recommendations here proposed. The subsequent section delves into the EU’s Visa Code and Handbook, proposing substantial changes to accommodate the needs of HRDs seeking entry ...
Revision of the EU's long-term budget: State of play ahead of the 1 February European Council meeting
Having failed to agree on the revision of the EU's 2021-2027 budget at the December European Council meeting, Member States will attempt to break the impasse at an extraordinary meeting on 1 February 2024.
Recast of Directive 2003/109/EC: Status of third-country nationals who are long term residents in the EU
Directive 2003/109/EC sets out the rights of third-country nationals who are long-term residents in the EU, the areas in which they can be granted equal treatment with EU citizens, and the conditions for moving to another EU Member State. It aims to facilitate the attainment of the EU internal market and the integration of migrants in host societies. As assessed in implementation reports, the EU long-term resident status is currently under-used, and third-country nationals lack information about ...
Extraterritorial processing of asylum claims
In the past decade, continuous migration and asylum pressure on European Union Member States has made the external dimension of the EU's approach to migration management all the more important. The need to address challenges relating to external border management has reoriented EU migration policy towards extended and stricter border controls, combined with the externalisation of migration management through cooperation with third countries. In this context, the external processing of asylum claims ...
Crisis and force majeure regulation
In September 2020, the European Commission proposed a new pact on asylum and migration, which includes a proposal for a regulation dealing with crisis and force majeure in the area of migration and asylum. The proposal aims to establish a mechanism for dealing with mass influxes and irregular arrivals of third-country nationals in a Member State. The proposed regulation sets out a solidarity mechanism procedure, allowing derogations from the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR) as regards ...
Reform of the Qualification Directive
The 2015 refugee and migrant crisis in Europe has called into question existing EU legislation on asylum, in particular the criteria according to which applicants for international protection can qualify for refugee or subsidiary protection status, as recognised in the Qualification Directive. Although national asylum rules are more closely aligned than they were, major differences in approach persist across the EU. This can lead asylum-seekers to claim refuge in Member States whose asylum systems ...
Towards a common EU system for returns
An effective return policy that removes from the EU third-country nationals who do not have the right to stay on EU territory is key for ensuring the consistency and credibility of the EU's migration policies. Such a return policy requires common rules and procedures in the EU Member States, implemented in accordance with fundamental rights obligations and respecting the principle of non-refoulement, as well as a robust cooperation framework with third countries that are willing to accept returnees ...