Asylum

Asylum, migration and borders

The migrant crisis has triggered 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 outline policy alternatives and best practices.

Highlights

  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    1
    August
    2024
    Migrant workers are particularly at risk of labour exploitation. Workplace inspectors play a role in protecting non-EU workers' rights. This report guides inspectors to identify abuse and protect migrant workers. In autumn 2024, FRA will publish a manual with extensive resources to support workplace inspectors.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    30
    July
    2024
    Fundamental rights violations on the EU’s land and sea borders often go unreported. Investigations into these violations need to be more effective. This report gathers examples of alleged rights violations of migrants and refugees between 2020 and 2023. It sets out 10 steps to promote prompt and effective national investigations into incidents of ill-treatment at borders.
  • Periodic updates / Series
    1
    July
    2024
    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 the end of May 2024.
  • Handbook / Guide / Manual
    17
    December
    2020
    The European Convention on Human Rights and European Union law provide an increasingly important framework for the protection of the rights of foreigners. European Union legislation relating to asylum, borders and immigration is developing fast. There is an impressive body of case law by the European Court of Human Rights relating in particular to Articles 3, 5, 8 and 13 of the ECHR. The Court of Justice of the European Union is increasingly asked to pronounce on the interpretation of European Union law provisions in this field. The third edition of this handbook, updated up to July 2020, presents this European Union legislation and the body of case law by the two European courts in an accessible way.
    Products
    Periodic updates / Series
    26
    March
    2018
    In view of the increasing numbers of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants entering the EU, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has been collecting relevant data since September 2015. These focus on the fundamental rights situation of people arriving in Member States particularly affected by large migration movements. The countries covered are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
    This infographic illustrates the positive and negative impact on fundamental rights of using large-scale IT systems for security and border management.
    Periodic updates / Series
    26
    February
    2018
    In view of the increasing numbers of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants entering the EU, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has been collecting relevant data since September 2015. These focus on the fundamental rights situation of people arriving in Member States particularly affected by large migration movements. The countries covered are: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden.
    For the past two years, FRA has been visiting reception centres for migrants across the EU.
    Report / Paper / Summary
    5
    February
    2018
    This focus report assesses how the presence of
    large numbers of persons in need of international
    protection affects local communities in terms of
    housing, education, the local economy and social
    responses.
    Report / Paper / Summary
    5
    February
    2018
    EU Member States’ legal and practical responses to migrants and refugees implicate several of their fundamental rights, as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU). The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has regularly reported on these issues since September 2015. This report highlights key trends and persistent concerns between October 2016 and December 2017. It focuses on five areas: access to territory, reception conditions, asylum procedures, unaccompanied children and immigration detention.
    16
    January
    2018
    Guardians are a key element of a protection system for children who are temporarily or
    permanently deprived of their family environment and cannot have their interests represented
    by their parents. Great disparities exist between the types of guardianship provided
    to children in and within European Union (EU) Member States. This report explores the key
    features of guardianship systems put in place to cater for the needs of all children in need
    of protection, including child victims and those at risk of becoming victims of trafficking in
    human beings or of other forms of exploitation.
    Easy-to-read report
    3
    January
    2018
    More than 20 million immigrants lived in the European Union in 2016. This means that 1 person in 25 was an immigrant. Having more immigrants and refugees makes it even more important for the governments to have plans to help them to integrate.
    This survey involved interviews with 25,515 people with different ethnic minority and immigrant backgrounds across 28 EU countries. It explores issues concerning discrimination as well as experiences of harassment, hate-motivated violence and discriminatory profiling.
    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.
    20
    November
    2017
    International treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, European Union (EU) secondary law and national legislation provide a number of rights to citizens. The maps and tables presented show the various patterns concerning age requirements for children to acquire rights in the EU. They also identify inconsistencies, protection gaps and restrictions deriving from different age thresholds. The reference period was until April 2016. Any legislative developments since then have been included whenever relevant or if known.
    Report / Paper / Summary
    22
    September
    2017
    This report assesses to which extent selected EU Member States have put
    in place mechanisms to ensure appropriate oversight and control of quality
    standards in reception facilities. Such oversight and control is essential for
    providing dignified and fundamental rights-compatible living conditions
    for asylum seekers.
    11
    July
    2017
    The European Parliament requested this FRA Opinion on the fundamental rights and personal data protection implications of the proposed Regulation for the creation of a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), including an assessment of the fundamental rights aspects of the access
    by law enforcement authorities and Europol.
    7
    July
    2017
    Various proposals on EU-level information systems in the areas of borders and security mention interoperability, aiming to provide fast and easy access to information about third-country nationals.
    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.
    Report / Paper / Summary
    23
    June
    2017
    This report outlines examples of community policing measures in select EU Member State regions and localities with recently arrived asylum seekers and migrants. It focuses on four main issues: 1) community policing, 2) related police training, 3) community involvement (for example: consultations; giving voice to the concerns of local communities; police involvement in local responses to concerns), and 4) crime prevention activities.

    22
    June
    2017
    Up to one third of migrants arriving in the European Union since the summer of 2015 have been children. The current emphasis on speedier asylum processing and making returns more effective may trigger increased use of immigration detention, possibly also affecting children. The detention of children implicates various fundamental rights and will only be in line with EU law if limited to exceptional cases. This report aims to support practitioners in implementing relevant polices in line with applicable law by outlining available safeguards against unlawful and arbitrary detention and highlighting promising practices.
    The first meeting of the ETIAS Fundamental Rights Guidance Board took place on 14 November.
    The first meeting of the Consultative Forum of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) took place in Malta on 10 November.
    FRA presented and discussed its second bulletin on the fundamental rights impact of the Russian aggression against Ukraine at the Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens' Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP).
    On 27 October, FRA took part in a meeting of the European Migration Network (EMN) Steering Board.
    FRA attended the launch conference of the European Network on Statelessness’ Stateless Journeys campaign.
    FRA was a panellist in back-to-back workshops at this year’s advanced course on international protection in Europe.
    FRA contributed to the plenary meeting of the European Platform tackling undeclared work.
    FRA co-chaired the Frontex Consultative Forum meeting together with the UN Refugee Agency.
    The Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered solidarity from EU governments, local authorities and society as they welcomed more than 7 million people fleeing the aggression. With fundamental rights ensured by law, practical challenges remain. The latest Ukraine bulletin from the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) explores the broad fundamental rights implications of the war within the EU, and its consequences for every single EU Member State.
    On 13 October, FRA spoke about the Temporary Protection Directive during a conference in Cyprus organised by the European Migration Network (EMN).
    An integral part of managing the EU’s external borders is respect for people’s fundamental rights. A new guidance from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) suggests how EU countries should set up independent national schemes to monitor fundamental rights compliance at the EU’s external borders.
    FRA presented its forthcoming guidance on setting up national independent border monitoring mechanisms at the 2022 European Conference of National Preventive Mechanisms.
    On 19 September, FRA took part in an online meeting organised by PICUM.
    FRA gave training on fundamental rights issues in Schengen evaluations from 26 to 27 September.
    FRA provided fundamental rights training for ETIAS national units in Warsaw.
    On 20 September, FRA gave a presentation on fundamental rights for Europol’s guest officers who will be deployed in Greece and Cyprus.
    Each year, FRA provides an update of its overview of forced return monitoring systems across the EU. The 2021 overview is now online.
    The European Union agencies active in the field of justice and home affairs issue a joint paper on their contribution to the EU’s solidarity with Ukraine.
    The war in Ukraine has forced millions of people to seek safety in neighbouring EU countries. How were they treated? What needs to improve? A new survey from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) seeks to find answers. The findings will guide its advice to the EU and host countries as they finetune their support.