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23 April 2020

Dear John xxxxxx,

The COVID-19 epidemic has yet again thrown in sharp relief the vulnerability of asylum systems in Europe, this time laying bare the fact that lessons hard learned after the 2015-16 migration and refugee crisis may already be fading from memory.

In a new Migration Policy Institute Europe commentary, Director Hanne Beirens examines the disastrous results of the pandemic response for asylum seekers, with many European governments suspending asylum registration and interviews, for example.

'Four years after the 2015-16 migration and refugee crisis taxed European asylum systems to the hilt, the weak spots have reappeared', Beirens writes. 'In the post-2015 period, policymakers concluded in unison that preventative measures, such as forecasting migratory movements or maintaining buffer capacity (i.e. vacant beds or houses) that allow asylum systems to continue operating in the face of sudden or large arrivals, were indispensable. And yet this has not prevented a long list of countries from phasing out the capacity built up in 2015-16'.

The commentary examines the divergent responses taken by Member States and sketches some smart interventions governments could take to shore up their protection regimes, including leveraging technology for this era of social distancing.

Read this timely analysis here: www.migrationpolicy.org/news/pandemic-lessons-learned-europe-asylum-fading.


With thanks for your interest in our work,

Michelle Mittelstadt
Director of Communications,
Migration Policy Institute Europe

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MPI Europe provides authoritative research and practical policy design to governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders who seek more effective management of immigration, immigrant integration, and asylum systems, as well as better outcomes for newcomers, families of immigrant background, and receiving communities throughout Europe. MPI Europe also provides a forum for the exchange of information on migration and immigrant integration practices within the European Union and Europe more generally. For more, visit www.mpieurope.org.

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