Reforming the EU Asylum and Visa Application Processes: Challenges and Solutions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46991/Keywords:
Dublin Regulations, Migration, Asylum, Eurodac, Asylum Procedure Regulation, Schengen Information System, Visa Information System, Entry-Exit System, European Travel Information, Authorisation SystemAbstract
The European Union (EU) is navigating a period of profound uncertainty, marked by global instability, armed conflicts, diverging international approaches to human rights (HRs), and increasing migration flows. The current asylum and visa systems, shaped by national interests, are inadequate to meet these challenges. Rising migration, combined with internal social pressures, risks undermining the EU’s credibility in upholding its HRs commitments. As all member states (MSs) are affected to varying degrees and face rising costs in security, crime prevention, and social services, the conditions for a common solution are in place.
The functioning of the EU’s asylum and visa systems underscores institutional challenges while offering a strategic opportunity for cohesive action.
Asylum and visa procedures face major challenges, including fragmented rules, inconsistent standards, slow processing, and poor coordination among MSs. This paper analyses these issues and proposes three interlinked policy solutions for systemic reform. Their success hinges on MSs’ willingness to compromise, align national interests with EU goals, and commit to genuine cooperation.
Even partial adoption would significantly improve the status quo. Solutions include: (1) harmonising the legal framework through uniform law, (2) accelerating digital standardisation with enhanced operational tools, and (3) strengthening cooperation via joint training and better-managed funding.
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