Pretext of the Adoption of the 2024 Common European Asylum System Reform and an Early Take on the Potential Effect
Pretext of the Adoption of the 2024 Common European Asylum System Reform and an Early Take on the Potential Effect

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the reception and potential impact of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) reform, adopted in April 2024, with a particular focus on Germany’s response and broader implications for bordering countries such as Italy, Hungary, and Greece. The CEAS reform aims to harmonize asylum procedures, enhance solidarity among the EU member states, and expedite the processing times. However, it has faced significant criticism, especially from civil society organizations like the ECRE and Pro Asyl, which argue that the reform could disenfranchise asylum seekers and undermine fair procedures, particularly for families with children. Despite these concerns, the German federal government, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, defends the reform as a necessary compromise to address the dysfunctionality of the current system. The analysis also explores the challenges in implementing the CEAS reforms in countries with restrictive asylum practices, such as Italy. Persistent human rights concerns, political resistance, and structural issues in these countries raise doubts about the reform’s effectiveness. The hypothesis presented is that the CEAS reform will not significantly improve the situation in these bordering countries and might exacerbate the existing challenges due to ongoing disparities in asylum procedures, human rights violations, and political resistance fuelled by populist movements. The study concludes that while the CEAS reform represents a step towards a more unified asylum system, it may fall short of addressing the deep-rooted issues in bordering countries, leading to continued scepticism and criticism from human rights organizations and civil society groups. This underscoresthe need for rigorous enforcement and further reforms to ensure equitable and humane treatment of asylum seekers across all EU member states.

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