Asylum

Asylum, migration and borders

The increase in migration has presented opportunities and challenges across Europe. FRA encourages rights-compliant responses.

We provide practical expertise on this complex issue. This includes regular updates, focus papers and toolkits. We also outline policy alternatives and best practices.

Highlights

  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    8
    October
    2025
    The Entry/Exit System (EES), launching in 2025, will register non-EU nationals crossing the EU’s external borders. This FRA guidance helps border guards apply the new rules in line with EU fundamental rights. It offers practical tips on informing people, collecting biometric data and supporting people with specific needs. Based on fieldwork at 10 border crossing points in 6 Member States, the guidance will ensure rights are respected under the new system. A separate guidance publication for managers accompanies this publication.
  • Opinion / Position Paper
    23
    July
    2025
    This position paper examines how the EU can counter the instrumentalisation of migrants while also upholding fundamental rights. Instrumentalisation refers to countries outside the EU using migration to exert political pressure. This position paper defines the phenomenon, provides examples, and outlines legal obligations under EU law. It provides legal analysis and warns that some responses risk undermining fundamental rights at the EU’s external borders, including the right to asylum. To counter instrumentalisation and uphold fundamental rights, the position paper proposes practical measures for Member States to take, such as sanctions, border controls, and cooperation with private operators.
  • Periodic updates / Series
    20
    June
    2025
    The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights regularly collects data on the operations of NGO vessels involved in search and rescue in the Mediterranean. This includes any legal proceedings against them, as well as any difficulties in disembarking migrants in safe ports. This paper provides an overview of criminal investigations and other legal proceedings initiated by European Union (EU) Member States against civil society organisations deploying search and rescue vessels and aircraft in the Mediterranean and/or against individual crew members. The latest update covers the period from 2018 up until 1 June 2025.
  • Page
    This page describes the activities of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on migration and asylum. It also explains how these activities can help the European Union (EU) and its Member States to implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum in a fundamental rights-compliant manner.
    Publications and data
    12
    December
    2023
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced millions of people to flee. Arriving in EU countries, they received protection in EU law under the Temporary Protection Directive. Many have begun to build a new life in their host country and enrich our societies in new ways. Local authorities took the lead in ensuring access to fundamental rights under temporary protection. This report explores the measures to ensure access to housing, education, employment and healthcare in 26 cities and regional authorities across 12 EU Member States. Despite unprecedented coordination and cooperation to overcome challenges, many uncertainties remain. Longer-term solutions will be needed after the directive expires in March 2025. Based on the information collected, the report identifies 12 priority actions and builds on FRA’s bulletins and survey findings on experiences of people displaced from Ukraine.
    22
    November
    2023
    FRA publishes annual updates on the forced return monitoring systems that EU Member States have set up under Article 8 (6) of the EU’s Return Directive (2008/115/EC). This latest update covers the period until the end of 2022.
    31
    October
    2023
    Fundamental rights are an important consideration in European border management. Virtually all activities can have an impact on rights – from risk analysis to training, border checks and border surveillance. Safeguards in laws regulating European border management aim to protect rights. This report is a contribution to the first review of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 that offers an opportunity to reflect on how best to improve the fundamental rights situation at the external borders of the EU.
    20
    October
    2023
    FRA’s strategic priorities and objectives are based on the agency’s role and mission as defined in its amended founding regulation. They build on FRA’s 2018–2022 strategy as well as how it performed, its experience and its vision. Their design takes into account future fundamental rights challenges facing Europe, the agency’s mandate, the broader operational context and the resources available.
    12
    October
    2023
    This tool introduces newly appointed guardians to the concept of international protection, possible forms of protection recognised through the asylum procedure, the relevant legal framework and the related rights of the child. It is part of a series of four practical tools for guardians of unaccompanied children with international protection needs. The objective is to support guardians in their daily tasks and responsibilities during the asylum procedure, including the procedure under the Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 (Dublin III regulation) and temporary protection. The tools have been developed by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
    12
    October
    2023
    This booklet aims to support guardians assigned to children in the asylum procedure. It includes an overview of the asylum procedure with a specific focus on children, the guarantees in the asylum procedure and your role as a guardian in the different phases of the asylum process. There is also a section on what to do if something unexpected may happen, or if the age of the applicant is disputed. It is part of a series of four practical tools for guardians of unaccompanied children with international protection needs. The objective is to support guardians in their daily tasks and responsibilities during the asylum procedure, including the procedure under the Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 (Dublin III regulation) and temporary protection. The tools have been developed by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
    11
    October
    2023
    Since October 2018, FRA has been publishing regular updates on NGO ships involved in search and rescue (SAR) operations in the Mediterranean, and the status of legal proceedings against them. This latest update covers until the end of June 2023.
    29
    September
    2023
    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine posed new challenges for the EU. Millions were forced to flee the war. As a result of the scale of people’s displacement, the EU activated for the first time the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD). More than 1.3 million children sought international protection in the EU. This bulletin explores the respect, protection and fulfilment of the fundamental rights of displaced children and ways to safeguard their rights. The third in a series, this bulletin builds on the evidence in FRA’s Bulletin #1 and #2 on the experiences of displaced people seeking safety in the EU.
    6
    September
    2023
    Integration and social inclusion are important aspects of EU migration and asylum policy. The fundamental rights of long-term residents in the EU are explored through this report, focussing on the Long-Term Residence Directive. EU long-term resident status includes rights to move and reside in other EU Member States. This report examines the reasons behind the low uptake of EU long-term resident permits, despite them typically giving more rights than national long-term resident permits.
    Report / Paper / Summary
    6
    July
    2023
    Following yet another recent tragic shipwreck and loss of life in the Mediterranean, this short report sets out examples of actions the EU could take to meet its obligations to protect the right to life and prevent more deaths at sea. As part of the work that the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) does on upholding fundamental rights in asylum and return procedures, this report calls for better protection for shipwreck survivors, and prompt and independent investigations. It sets out measures that EU Member States should take to improve search and rescue efforts and provide legal pathways to safety to prevent deaths at sea.
    14
    June
    2023
    In responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU activated its Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for people who fled the country, allowing them to settle in the EU and to access basic public services and the labour market. By spring 2023, more than 4.5 million people had made use of the TPD or similar national protection schemes in the EU. In 2022, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights conducted an online survey among people displaced from Ukraine. Eurofound has analysed the survey results on their experiences when seeking to access employment. This paper highlights the main barriers that displaced people encountered and suggests ways to facilitate their inclusion.
    8
    June
    2023
    Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in massive internal and external population displacement. The European Union (EU) rapidly activated its Temporary Protection Directive for the first time since it was adopted in 2001. This entitled nearly 4 million people to legal residence and access to work, housing and legal assistance, education and healthcare.
    8
    June
    2023
    FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field in 2022, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
    8
    June
    2023
    The year 2022 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2023 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
    30
    May
    2023
    Over the span of nearly eight years, there have been developments in showing respect for the human rights of those who arrive at the EU’s borders. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has shown how a large and sudden influx of people can be managed effectively and respectfully. Notwithstanding the improvements, the growing number of people crossing or attempting to enter the EU pose a wide range of fundamental rights challenges.

    In this bulletin, FRA takes stock of concerns and improvements regarding the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. It highlights the EU Member States’ legal and practical responses. It identifies key trends, promising practices, long-standing and emerging patterns, and persistent concerns.
    1
    March
    2023
    This manual is designed to help institutions, organisations and individuals to train guardians of unaccompanied children or to deliver ‘train-the-trainers’ courses. It can be used in a range of training contexts, such as professional and academic training, on-the-job training and continuing training. The manual is based on human and fundamental rights principles and ethical standards and recognises that the child and the guardian have their own personal stories, resources and capacities. It enhances guardians’ confidence to promote the child’s rights and best interests. It also enhances their confidence to act independently and impartially in relation to different state
    officials, service providers and other community members.
    28
    February
    2023
    12 new language versions available
    17 December 2024
    Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine triggered scenes not seen in Europe for decades. It has since caused death, immense destruction, and unspeakable suffering. It also set in motion a mass movement of people not seen since World War II. To protect them, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time. In doing so, all EU Member States must offer protection to those displaced from Ukraine.
    2
    February
    2023
    Many cities throughout the European Union hosted people fleeing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU currently faces the largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II. Since February 2022, over seven million people came to the EU. The arrival of such large numbers of people thrust cities and local governments to the forefront of the EU and its Member States’ relief work. This short publication provides a snapshot of cities’ initiatives to address this humanitarian crisis.
    24
    November
    2022
    The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) and the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) joined forces to create this tool focusing on temporary protection for unaccompanied children fleeing Ukraine.
    11
    November
    2022
    Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history. It is a moment of existential significance for the wellbeing and sustainability of our societies. It is emerging from the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease, only to face a set of major overlapping challenges. These pose profound questions about the political, economic and societal future of the continent. To discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action, FRA brought together a group of sixty human rights leaders and experts with diverse backgrounds
    from across the continent. This report distils the meeting discussions, including analysis and ideas, and concludes with proposals for action. It does not represent the views either of individual participants or of FRA.
    This infographic illustrates the main experiences immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU have when it comes to discrimination. It draws from the findings from FRA's EU-MIDIS II survey.
    This infographic illustrates the main experiences immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU have when it comes to victimisation. It draws from the findings from FRA's EU-MIDIS II survey.
    This infographic illustrates the main experiences immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU have when it comes to inclusion. It draws from the findings from FRA's EU-MIDIS II survey.
    The Agency, in close cooperation with the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council, held a high-level symposium where the fundamental rights issues that are currently high on the EU’s political agenda were discussed.
    Listen to what children say about the situation of people, particularly children, residing in the European Union, who needed to flee from their home country or left their country of birth for any other reason and what they suggest to implement change.
    Miltos Pavlou, Senior Programme Manager at the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, talks about the participation of migrants and their descendants in the EU.
    This infographic illustrates some of the main issues when it comes to integrating migrants and their descendants in the EU.
    The Agency’s Director, Michael O’Flaherty, took part in a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on 9 February.
    The Agency’s Director, Michael O’Flaherty, took part in a meeting of the European Parliament Employment Committee on 8 November.
    The Agency shared its view on protecting child rights in the Dublin Procedure, particularly for unaccompanied children at a hearing organised by the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee in Brussels on 10 October.
    The Fundamental Rights Forum (FRF) is organised by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in cooperation with various partners. Refugee Protection is one of the three themes for the FRF which will take place in Vienna from 20-23 June 2016.
    This infographic outlines FRA's work along a simplified version of the EU migration flow. Each item is hyperlinked so you can find out more on each topic.
    This video message by UN Special Rapporteur Francois Crépeau was produced for the Fundamental Rights Conference 2014 (FRC) on Migration.
    This video message by UN High Commissioner Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein was produced for the Fundamental Rights Conference 2014 (FRC) on Migration.
    This video introduces the topics of the Fundamental Rights Conference 2011.
    FRA was a speaker during a panel on the EU’s proposed new return regulation and the concept of ‘return hubs’ at the 25th Berlin Symposium on Refugee Protection. It focused on fundamental rights issues and limitations.
    On 17 June, the Advisory Board of the Independent Border Monitoring Mechanism of Croatia met in Zagreb. They discussed the monitoring mechanism’s last periodic work report that covering the first five months of 2025.
    The Mediterranean remains a deadly route, with a rising number of migrant deaths. Since 2014, over 32,000 people have lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea to seek safety and protection or a better life in Europe. In its latest update of search and rescue operations at sea on World Refugee Day, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) highlights how capacity issues, legal challenges and other measures against civil society organisations continue to hamper efforts to save lives.
    On 12 June, FRA attended a workshop organised by the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) in cooperation with the Austrian Supreme Administrative Court and the Austrian Federal Administrative Court at the Supreme Administrative Court in Vienna.
    FRA participated at a meeting of the European Union’s Asylum Agency’s working group drafting standards and indicators on reception conditions. The drafting group is formed by representatives from the European Commission, representatives from Member States, the UN Refugee Agency and FRA.
    FRA delivered fundamental rights input at two training events for lawyers working on migration and asylum in Europe. The first one was a webinar organised by the European Lawyers Foundation, in collaboration with the Council of Bars and Law Societies in Europe.
    FRA provided fundamental rights input at two recent European Migration Network expert meetings. Both took place on 21 May in Brussels.
    On 27 May, FRA provided online training on fundamental rights when using biometrics at an event organised by Frontex. The event focused on vulnerabilities in automated border crossings at Lisbon airport.
    FRA spoke during the EU Asylum Agency’s (EUAA) fourth High-Level Roundtable on developments in judicial dialogue in the field of international protection. It looked at case law from the Court of Justice of the EU, the European Court of Human Rights and national courts.
    On 15 May, FRA took part in a conference in Helsinki that focused on the return of deported Ukrainian children. FRA contributed to the panel looking at the illegality of deporting Ukrainian children, accountability and restoration of justice.
    FRA held an online roundtable discussion on effective guardianship for unaccompanied refugee children in Bulgaria on 21 May. As part of the event, FRA presented its analysis of guardianship within the context of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.
    Frontex Consultative Forum members met with Frontex senior management from 13 to 14 May in Warsaw.
    FRA presented to the EU Council’s Asylum Working Party its updated guidance on setting up national independent mechanisms to monitor fundamental rights compliance during screening and asylum border procedures.
    FRA gave a presentation on its updated guidance on independent national monitoring mechanisms that should be set up as part of screening and the asylum border procedures at a event on how to apply the EU’s new Screening Regulation.
    FRA joined a meeting of the ETIAS Fundamental Rights Guidance Board. They discussed the 2024 annual report and the 2025 work programme.
    On 9 April, FRA addressed a Council of Europe workshop of the European National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) Forum. FRA presented its guidance on Monitoring fundamental rights during screening and the asylum border procedure.
    Labour inspectors can play a crucial role in protecting migrant workers from exploitation and abuse. New practical exercises and training guides from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) will support inspectors in safeguarding non-EU workers’ rights.
    The EU Asylum Agency held the first meeting of the working group drafting standards and indicators on reception conditions in Malta from 25 to 27 March.
    On 27 March, FRA and the Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights attended the Frontex Management Board meeting in Warsaw making interventions on the protection of fundamental rights in Frontex operations.
    FRA took part in a conference on protection mechanisms for posted non-EU workers. The European Labour Authority (ELA) organised the meeting on 19 March at the European Social Committee in Brussels.
    On 18 January, FRA will speak about the fundamental rights implications of the large-scale EU IT systems used in migration.
    The Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights meeting will take place on 20 October.
    FRA will present its study on role of the Employers Sanctions Directive on protecting irregular migrants from labour exploitation to the European Parliament.
    The European Guardianship Network will discuss on 22 June the training materials for guardians that FRA and its contractor Defence for Children International Italy are developing. The draft manual targets trainers of guardians. The content covers ten modules.
    FRA will speak to law enforcement officers about data quality in EU migration and security IT systems.
    The next Frontex Consultative Forum meeting takes place on 3 February.
    FRA will present its report on fundamental rights issues at EU land borders to the Schengen Scrutiny Group of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
    The FRA Director will address the situation of unaccompanied migrant children during a European Parliament seminar.
    FRA and the European Court of Human Rights will launch the 2020 edition of the FRA and Council of Europe handbook on European law relating to asylum, borders and immigration. This online book launch will take place on 17 December. It is being organised in collaboration with the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).
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    This year, FRA again teams up with the This human world international human rights film festival.
    The third Euro-Mediterranean Communicators´ workshop will tackle the question what is next for the migration narrative in the Euro-Mediterranean region?
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    FRA’s migration reporting toolkit for journalists will feature in two workshops and be discussed with media partners during the III International Congress of Migration Reporting. The workshops will present how journalists’ knowledge of fundamental rights affects migration reporting.