With the development towards comprehensive and more sophisticated border control regimes, the problem of protection seekers’ access to EU territory has increasingly come into focus. Disorderly movement is presently the main avenue to safety in the EU, and human smugglers act as important...

All (Member) States have historically experienced changes in the influx of applicants for international protection and other migrants, typically coinciding with conflicts worldwide and changes to migratory routes into the EU. However, in 2014-2016 (Member) States experienced an unprecedented...

The return of illegally-staying third-country nationals is one of the main pillars of the EU’s policy on migration and asylum. However, recent Eurostat data show that return rates at EU level have not improved despite the important increase in the number of rejected asylum applications and in...

The EMN Annual Report on Immigration and Asylum 2015 is based on information collected from all Member States and Norway in late 2015 and early 2016. It provides an overview of the main legal and policy developments taking place at EU level and within participating countries. It is a...

The EMN Annual Report on Immigration and Asylum 2014 is based on information collected from all Member States and Norway in late 2014 and early 2015. It provides an overview of the main legal and policy development taking place at EU level and within participating countries. It is a...

FRA’s opinions highlight general fundamental rights implications to be considered when applying the safe countries of origin concept. They should be read together with the relevant safeguards the Asylum Procedures Directive establishes. These safeguards provide for minimum guarantees that must...

This opinion analyses the effects on children of the proposed recast Dublin Regulation. It covers child-specific rules as well as provisions relating to all asylum applicants that significantly affect children. Where possible, the opinion points to the potential practical effects on children of...

This Opinion by FRA aims to inform the European Parliament’s position on the legislative proposal for a recast Directive on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third country nationals (Return Directive), presented by the European Commission on 12...

This document contains a short description of relevant instruments concerning asylum and refugees, on a global and on a European level, mainly the definition of a refugee, procedural safeguards, accelerated procedures, the safe country of origin and safe third country principles, manifestly...