Border controls
In recent years EU states have increasingly focused their asylum and migration policies on combating illegal immigration. Visa requirements for nationals coming from refugee producing areas have become more and more strict, while carriers are heavily sanctioned for carrying undocumented passengers to most European countries. This has made it virtually impossible for a person seeking protection to enter the EU through regular channels and driven people to endanger their lives to do so with tragic consequences. ECRE believes that Europe should set an example in refugee protection. The right to seek asylum is meaningless if people in need of international protection are denied access to EU territory. Erecting ever higher walls is not the solution and a far more balanced approach is needed. ECRE insists that border management must be conducted in full compliance with international human rights obligations, which means ensuring that no asylum seeker is sent back at the border to a risk of persecution. |
Read refugee stories on this topic
Defending Refugees' Access to Protection in Europe ECRE/BRC joint response to House of Lords inquiry on Frontex Memorandum to the Finnish Presidency Open Letter to EU Presidency - EU Cooperation with Libya Evaluation of the Development of EU Minimum Standards for Refugee Protection Responses & Recommendations ECRE comments on the Commission's two communications on migration management |
