According to the EU Commission, the number of irregularly arriving asylum seekers making their way to Europe has fallen by more than half. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told the Funke Media Group that illegal migration into the EU has decreased by 55 percent over the past two years. On certain routes, such as those crossing the Western Balkans, this reduction reached an impressive 90 percent within three years.
Brunner noted a recent significant drop: in the first four months of this year, irregular migration from Turkey to the Aegean Islands in Greece was down by 67 percent compared to the first four months of the previous year. While there has been an increase in the number of returns for asylum seekers rejected within the EU-rising from 21 percent to nearly 30 percent last year-he stressed that this figure is still far too low.
A major development coming into force on June 12th is the Common European Asylum System (GEAS). This reform aims primarily to curb illegal migration into the European Union while simultaneously speeding up and standardizing asylum procedures. Under the new system, procedures for individuals deemed unlikely to receive long-term residency will be conducted in centers located at the EU’s external borders. Brunner highlighted that Germany is leading the way in implementing these reforms.
However, refugee organizations and migration researchers caution against the new framework, expressing concerns that the reform could potentially hollow out asylum rights and lead to human rights abuses.
