The European Union is working on a plan to revise the 1951 Refugee Convention, a cornerstone of international asylum law that prevents countries from turning away asylum seekers at their borders. If implemented, this would mark one of the most significant shifts in migration policy in recent history.
Many European officials argue that the convention, established after World War II and later expanded by European court rulings, no longer aligns with modern migration challenges.
“It should be noted that these principles were developed after the end of World War II and were characterized by a completely different geopolitical situation than today,” states a diplomatic document reviewed by The Times.
Signed by 144 nations, the Refugee Convention upholds the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending asylum seekers back to countries where they could face serious threats to their life or freedom. However, in recent years, this principle has come under increasing scrutiny as European nations struggle to manage high numbers of asylum applications and enforce deportations of those whose claims are denied.
The document warns that current restrictions on asylum rights can only be applied in “exceptional situations,” which, according to EU leaders, fail to reflect present-day migration realities.
Drafted by Poland and discussed by EU interior ministers last Thursday, the document comes ahead of new proposals expected this spring. These proposals aim to speed up the deportation process for rejected asylum seekers, as well as for refugees and migrants involved in criminal activities.
European leaders hope these measures “could also encourage discussion of this issue at the international level,” the document states, potentially paving the way for legal changes to the convention with support from nations such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
