On the reform of the Dublin System and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum

This contribution aims to provide an overview of two of the most salient characteristics of migration governance in the European Union (EU), in order to evaluate how – and if – their drawbacks are tackled in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. In particular, the study first focuses on the externalisation of EU borders and the role of so-called “transit countries” neighbouring the EU, taking Turkey as a case study. The reason for this choice is twofold: first, especially after the Malta Declaration, the geographical location of Turkey as a transit hub of the Eastern Mediterranean Route makes it a crucial node for the European migration system. Second, the EU-Turkey deal is one of the most exemplary cases of externalisation of border control, as will be elucidated in the next paragraphs. After that, the main features and pitfalls of the Dublin System are examined. This account is instrumental in introducing the main issues and shortcomings of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. To assess the Pact, building on a speech delivered by Margaritis Schinas,vice-President in the von der Leyen Commission, the two central issues of this study, i.e., the external dimension and the reform of the Dublin system are discussed. By carrying out this analysis, the aim is to determine whether the Pact can be considered up to the challenge of addressing the exisiting limitations of European cooperation on migration and asylum.