Dr Ali Bilgic, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Loughborough University discusses in a recent article on the Conversation why the UK should stay within the EU’s asylum system after Brexit.
Three options for the future are detailed in the article by Dr Bilgic:
"The first is to negotiate bilateral arrangements with individual EU states, including France, in the case of a no-deal scenario. However, since asylum governance is highly harmonised in the EU, despite political differences, it’s unlikely that member states and EU institutions will agree to this.Second, regardless of the deal with the EU, the UK can pursue bilateral agreements with non-EU countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Senegal, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Currently, the UK benefits from the arrangements the EU has with such countries such as the EU-Turkey deal. Such negotiations will not only take the UK time, but any agreements will not necessarily prevent irregular crossings from Europe.The third option would be to negotiate a version of the arrangements Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein have with the EU during a transition period."
The lecturer concludes that the UK should find a way to be part of Common European Asylum System (CEAS) so that it isn’t considered by the EU as a third country outside the EU’s asylum governance structures. This might be the only way to protect the existing rights and entitlements of asylum seekers in the UK.
To access the full article please visit here.