Pressure on asylum seekers: EU reforms are showing initial success!

Pressure on asylum seekers: EU reforms are showing initial success!

The pressure on asylum seekers in the EU is increasingly having an impact and is promoting integration. According to recent reports from Exxpress, social benefits are no longer paid out unconditionally, which offers asylum seekers additional incentives to integrate. This measure aims to achieve better adaptation to the EU's social and economic framework.

In addition, the topic of asylum policy in the EU is in focus. The EU aims to ensure international protection for third-country nationals. A central element of these efforts is the creation of a Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which is based on the legal basis of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Articles 67, 78 and 80 of the TFEU establish this legal framework, which is drawn up in accordance with the Geneva Convention of 1951 and the Protocol of 1967, as the European Parliament website explains.

Development of asylum policy

Developments in the EU's asylum policy have increased steadily in recent decades. The Maastricht Treaty in 1993 brought intergovernmental cooperation into the EU's institutional framework. The 1999 Treaty of Amsterdam expanded the powers of the EU institutions to develop asylum legislation. An important step was the introduction of the co-decision procedure in 2005, which allows member states to decide jointly on asylum issues.

The Tampere program in 1999 set out the first major step towards the implementation of the CEAS in two phases, including the establishment of criteria and procedures for examining asylum applications. In addition, the 2004 Hague Program required that the second phase instruments should be adopted by the end of 2010.

Reform initiatives and challenges

As part of the reform efforts, a new migration and asylum package was initiated in 2020, which aims to reform the CEAS. An important innovation is the establishment of the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA), which supports the member states in the asylum procedures. On May 14, 2024, ten new legal instruments to reform asylum and migration management were adopted.

The financing of these measures is ensured by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), which was increased to 9.9 billion euros in the 2021-2027 budget and is supported by other EU funding instruments.

In parallel with these developments, a recent gender ruling from Great Britain, which defines gender identities as based on biological characteristics, caused heated debate in the United Kingdom. These discussions also affect the social framework within which asylum applications and integration measures develop.

In addition, the EU plans to achieve a total ban on gas from Russia. This serves not only to end energy dependence, but also to increase pressure on Moscow. As Exxpress reports, this is part of a broader strategy that takes both geopolitical and social aspects into account.