© Édouard Élias
The Policy Papers by Synergies Migrations and the Institut Convergences Migrations
Ten years after the 2015 “refugee crisis,” this policy paper aims to analyse a decade of reforms in European asylum and immigration policies. While the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty had initiated a process of harmonizing European migration systems by establishing common standards among Member States, the 2015 “crisis” exposed the weaknesses of this strategy and intensified tensions between European countries.
The policy paper thus outlines ten years of reforms and divisions among Member States, illustrating the difficulties of reaching agreement on a common policy when national and electoral interests diverge. The adoption of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum in May 2024 is the result of eight years of tough negotiations and compromises, which have largely come at the expense of the rights of migrants and refugees.
As initial resistance already emerges regarding the implementation of the principle of European solidarity, this policy paper highlights that the centrality of immigration in political debates has led to a frenzy of national-level reforms since 2024, aimed at reducing the rights of migrants, enforcing expulsions at all costs and to any country, and weakening the right to asylum. The externalization of asylum law and immigration policies is now an increasingly tangible reality, supported by the EU, which is proposing a legal framework enabling the implementation of these “innovative solutions.”
This publication constitutes the third issue in the series of policy papers by Synergies Migrations and the Institut Convergences Migrations (IC Migrations) on European and international issues related to immigration and asylum. These policy papers aim to shed light on debates surrounding migration issues and to contribute to the reflections of all stakeholders (policymakers, institutions, associations, private sector actors, etc.). This series draws on the scientific research conducted by fellows affiliated with IC Migrations, a network of more than 750 researchers in France and internationally, in collaboration with Synergies Migrations.
In partnership with the Institut Convergences Migrations
