The future of the European Migration and Asylum Policy

Abstract

Purpose: Migration is acomplex issue, with many facets that need to be weighed. Five years after the 2015 refugee crisis and the European Agenda on Migration, the EU still lacks a common migration and asylum policy. The aim of the chapter is to discuss the future of the migration and asylum policy in the European Union. Design/methodology/approach: The chapter analyzes the current migration situation in Europe, the impact of Covid-19 on migratory flows in Europe, challenges faced by the EU, and legislative initiatives proposed under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. The text indicates key challenges related to migration faced by the European Union and provides an overview of the legislative proposals that seek to address the identified gaps. Findings: Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for the EU to be prepared to address situations of force majeure and broader crises, which impact migration and asylum management systems. The Pact on Migration and Asylum sets out the Commission’s new approach to migration, addresses border management, and ensures more coherence to integrate the internal and external dimensions of migration policies. Originality and value: The chapter attempts to contribute to the literature on international migration by delivering analysis results of Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on the migration flows in Europe and the analysis of EU’s new approach to migration and asylum policy.