EU migration policy has shifted from reception to border control, increasingly securitizing asylum management through externalization and restrictive measures.
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The European Union’s approach to migration and asylum has been significantly shaped by the “migrant crisis” of 2015, leading to increasingly restrictive legislation focused on strengthening external borders. Following the unprecedented arrivals, the EU’s narrative has shifted from one of reception to one heavily securitized, emphasizing border control and returns.
The role of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has expanded, though its operations have been linked to human rights violations, including illegal pushbacks. The EU’s policy has seen a move towards externalizing border management, exemplified by agreements with countries like Turkey, involving significant financial contributions for returns.
Legislatively, the EU reached an agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will gradually take effect. While this pact introduces a mandatory solidarity mechanism, it retains the Dublin Regulation’s core principle: the first country of entry is responsible for asylum claims. Furthermore, the concept of a “safe third country” is being revised restrictively, potentially leading to the systematic outsourcing of asylum procedures to third countries, regardless of whether they are the country of origin or transit.
