Asylum, immigration, free movement of people

Points of view

• People dying at the EU's external borders: Can the Summit find the right answer?

  By Yves Pascouau

  Far too many people are dying every year at the EU's external borders. A few days ago, the Mediterranean waters were, once again, the scene of this human tragedy where hopes, dreams, families and lives drowned forever. As always, the same question re (...)

• EU immigration policy: act now before it is too late

  By Yves Pascouau

  The Lisbon Treaty, in a repetition of the 1999 Tampere European Council conclusions, states “the Union shall develop a common immigration policy”. This entails addressing issues related to legal migration, irregular migration and integration.

• Strong attack against the freedom of movement of EU citizens: turning back the clock

  By Yves Pascouau

  Last week, in a joint letter to the Irish presidency, four Ministers – representing Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom – launched a strong attack regarding the freedom of movement of EU citizens. The letter’s recurrent argument (...)

• Developing support for wavering asylum systems: convincing mechanisms?

  By Yves Pascouau

  National asylum systems may face difficulties and lead to violations of EU and human rights rules. Hence, support mechanisms have been established in order to avoid such critical situations. In its commentary, Yves Pascouau addresses three types of m (...)

• Internal border controls in the Schengen area: much ado about nothing?

  By Yves Pascouau

  The question relating to the reintroduction of internal borders checks in the Schengen Area has become increasingly sensitive. As a consequence, it was very high on the June’s European Council’s Agenda. In this Commentary, Yves Pascouau, analyses the (...)

• Schengen area under pressure #2: the Commission recalls the EU nature of the Schengen system

  By Yves Pascouau

  After weeks of tensions between France and Italy regarding the management of Tunisians’ migrants, Nicolas Sarkozy and Silvio Berlusconi sent a joint letter proposing to revise the Schengen rules in order to enlarge the possibility to reintroduce inte (...)

• Schengen area under pressure: controversial responses and worrying signs

  By Yves Pascouau

  Hopes deriving from the “Arab Spring” have been accompanied by concerns of how to manage migration flows. This question has quickly become extremely contentious and, to a certain extent, it has overshadowed the reality taking place in Tunisia and Egy (...)

• Migratory flows from North Africa: challenges for the EU

  By Yves Pascouau and Sheena McLoughlin

  Unprecedented flows of migrants are arriving on the EU’s southern shores following recent political upheaval across North Africa and there is a fear that many more will come. In this commentary, Yves Pascouau and Sheena McLoughlin outline three chall (...)