(This Joint Statement may be downloaded here, and the shorter version may be found here.)
The commitment to a more human approach to protection and the emphasis on the fact that migration is needed and positive for Europe with which the European Commission launched the Pact on Migration and Asylum is welcome. However, this rhetoric is reflected only sparsely in the related proposals. Instead of breaking with the fallacies of the EU’s previous approach and offering a fresh start, the Pact risks exacerbating the focus on externalisation, deterrence, containment and return.
This initial assessment by civil society of the legislative and non-legislative proposals is guided by the following questions:
- Are the proposals able to guarantee in law and in practice compliance with international and EU legal standards?
- Will they contribute to a fairer sharing of responsibility for asylum in Europe and globally?
- Will they work in practice?