EU leaders should uphold the right to asylum in Europe: 10 steps for the EU to ensure sustainable and rights-based asylum systems

The International Rescue Committee has joined more than 40 humanitarian and human rights organisations to urge EU leaders to uphold the right to asylum in Europe.

In light of recent policies aimed at preventing the arrival in the EU of individuals seeking international protection and safety, we are together calling on European Commission and EU member states to respect EU and international human rights legal frameworks and safeguard the global refugee protection system.

We are calling on the EU and its member states to:

1. Focus on compliance with EU law and implementation of the Pact in line with human rights and in close cooperation with civil society.
2. Refrain from arbitrarily detaining refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and imposing other restrictions on people’s freedom of movement during asylum and return procedures.
3. Enable effective monitoring and accountability for rights violations and pushbacks at European borders.
4. Expand avenues to alternative residence permits for people with protection and other human rights-related needs but not eligible for asylum and ensure the broad range of existing opportunities for legal stay are accessible in practice.
5. Uphold EU and international law obligations to ensure access to territorial asylum in the EU and to respect the principle of non-refoulement; providing regular pathways to migration can never replace access to territorial asylum.
6. Ensure adequate Search and Rescue (SAR) capacity and safe and timely disembarkation at the closest port of safety.
7. Expand protection and assistance for refugees and migrants along migratory routes through partnerships with third countries without containment objectives.
8. Recognise the need for significant upscaling of safe and regular pathways in the pursuit of improved management of global mobility.
9. Prioritise and conduct human rights impact assessments in advance of collaboration with or support to third countries on asylum and migration and suspend funding when human rights are violated.
10. Strengthen parliamentary and public scrutiny over ongoing agreements.