Let’s set the record straight: a humane and effective EU asylum system is possible. Solutions that protect refugees and address concerns of EU citizens do exist.
These are UNHCR’s key recommendations for the 2025 Polish and Danish Presidencies of the EU Council:
- Implementing the Asylum Pact with safeguards benefits both refugees and EU citizens.
Here are some examples:
- Identify vulnerable people like separated children and torture survivors and offer tailored support. Failing to do so will worsen their suffering and ability to integrate.
- Prioritize alternatives to detention such as assigned residences and regular reporting. Evidence shows that these alternatives are not only more humane, but also equally effective and significantly cheaper than detention.
- Provide early access to legal support, because legal aid contributes to fair asylum procedures. This can reduce the likelihood of costly appeals and save time and resources, while it can also help people integrate into society faster.
- Stop human rights violations at EU borders. Forcibly preventing the entry of people seeking asylum is neither legal nor moral. It’s time for independent border monitoring systems to investigate and end these abuses. Let’s ensure Europe maintains its values to protect refugees.
- The right to asylum is non-negotiable, even when refugees are ‘instrumentalized’ for political gains.
States must control their borders and protect their citizens, but not at the cost of denying safety to those in danger.
No one should ever be sent back to harm.
- Act before people are forced to risk their lives.
- Prioritize human rights in migration deals with other countries.
- Fight traffickers.
- Expand ways for people to reach Europe safely.
- Invest in root causes and conflict-solving in conflict-affected regions so people aren’t forced to flee in the first place.
- The EU must maintain its humanitarian leadership in the world.
We urge for more funding to solve displacement crises globally, including those that aren’t in the headlines.
Humanitarian aid isn’t enough; it must be paired with long-term development.
- Ensure a future for Ukrainian refugees in Europe until they can safely return home.
Key steps that need to be made:
- Extend their residency permits before they expire in March 2026.
- Explore alternative residency pathways within the EU.
- No one should be forced to return to Syria.
Despite renewed hope for the country, the humanitarian crisis is far from over.
We urge the EU to continue to be patient until the conditions allow for safe, voluntary and dignified returns.
- Refugees need safer ways to reach Europe.
The way to achieve that is by resettling vulnerable refugees from countries where they sought refuge but remain at risk, through mobility for education and employment purposes, as well as through reunification of refugee families.
Combining Europe’s labour shortage with refugees’ skills and talents creates a win-win situation for everyone.
- Humane and effective returns first require fair and efficient asylum procedures to quickly identify those in need of international protection.
EU Presidencies must prioritize:
- Voluntary over forced returns
- Reintegration support
You can find UNHCR’s Recommendations for 2025’s EU Presidency here.
