Why is upholding the right to asylum crucial in Europe?
- Refugees must have access to protection.
- States must guarantee the right to seek and enjoy asylum.
- The international refugee protection system must be respected.
What are the concerning developments regarding asylum processing?
- The EU and its Member States are outsourcing asylum processing.
- This risks undermining the international protection system.
- Human rights and humanitarian organizations are alarmed.
What are examples of these attempts?
- Italy is seeking to process asylum applications outside its territory.
- Denmark and Germany are also exploring similar arrangements.
- 15 EU Member States have endorsed shifting asylum processing outside EU territory.
What are the human costs of externalization?
- Outsourcing asylum processing harms people seeking protection.
- Models like Australia’s offshore detention scheme have led to human suffering.
- The EU’s false promises on human rights compliance are concerning.
The future EU must uphold the right to asylum in Europe. Discussions on the externalization of asylum have been ongoing, but recent attempts by EU Member States to shift asylum processing outside EU territory are alarming. These efforts risk undermining the international protection system and must be critically evaluated.
Source: www.amnesty.org