The impact of the Russian war against Ukraine on the reform of the common European asylum system

Abstract

This article analyses how the Russian invasion and the mass influx of Ukrainians have impacted the Europeanisation dynamics in EU asylum policy, notably the process of reforming the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). We argue that these extraordinary events have fostered a more consensual and cooperative mode of governance in EU asylum policy, which has facilitated the adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The Commission strategically used venues created for dealing with Ukrainian refugees to also tackle other migratory challenges in a more consensual manner. Furthermore, the negotiations of the Pact were facilitated by a convergence of member states around security– and migration control-oriented norms. Asylum rights were increasingly seen as a potential vulnerability in a geopolitical competition with Russia and other hostile governments. The objective of member states to have more tools to respond to crises’ situations and the potential ‘instrumentalisations’ of migrants became drivers for completing the reform. As a result, migrants’ access to the right of asylum will get more dependent on the political will of member states, notably in a perceived emergency.