A State of Shrinking Protection: Asylum, Advocacy, and Building Resilience in the EU

An EMA Topic of the Month Report

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EMA - TOM - A State of Shrinking Protection Asylum, Advocacy, and Building Resilience in t.

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The refugee convention once stood as a cornerstone of human rights protection; however, through the new EU Pact on migration and asylum and the latest policies and practices being carried out by the European Union and its member states, we have seen access to this fundamental right being reshaped as the focus has shifted towards deterrence, externalisation and generalisation rather than safety.

Illustration by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

As 2025 has come to an end and we seem to be looking ahead into another pivotal year of migration policy-making and shifting asylum landscape, this report takes stock of these developments and asks what asylum in Europe has become.

We examine how new EU initiatives, including revisions to the concepts of safe third country and safe country of origin, are accelerating returns and narrowing access to refugee protection. We also explore the collapse of resettlement commitments, the scarcity of regular pathways, but also examples of when such regular pathways have been effective and successful, prompting us to focus on new ways to approach asylum within the EU.

Reflecting on this evolving European refugee and asylum environment has also highlighted another development: the growing pressure on those who defend the rights of people on the move. From the criminalisation of solidarity to funding cuts and hostile political narratives, people on the move, advocates, and frontline workers are navigating an increasingly difficult environment. Understanding this context is essential, not only for assessing the state of asylum, but for recognising what we can do to sustain long-term resistance, solidarity, and hope.

In bringing these threads together, this report reflects on how refugee protection is being reshaped in Europe and provides a direction for where meaningful alternatives and collective resilience can emerge.