Reforming the EU Asylum and Visa Application Processes: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

The European Union is experiencing a period of profound uncertainty, marked by global instability, armed conflicts, diverging international approaches to human rights, and growing migration flows. Current asylum and visa systems, shaped by national interests, are failing to address these challenges. Rising migration, coupled with domestic social pressure, risks undermining the EU’s credibility in upholding its human rights obligations. With all EU Member States affected to varying degrees and facing rising costs for security, crime prevention, and social services, the conditions for a common solution are clear.
The functioning of the EU’s asylum and visa systems highlights institutional challenges while simultaneously providing a strategic opportunity for coordinated action.
Asylum and visa procedures face significant challenges, including fragmented rules, inconsistent standards, slow processing, and poor coordination among EU Member States. This article analyzes these challenges and proposes three interrelated policy solutions for systemic reform. In this sense, their success depends on the willingness of Member States to compromise, align national interests with EU goals, and commit to genuine cooperation.
Even partial adoption of solutions would significantly improve the current state of affairs. Proposed solutions include: (1) harmonizing the legal framework through uniform legislation, (2) accelerating digital standardization through improved operational tools, and (3) strengthening cooperation through joint training and more efficient funding management.