Evergreen external processing and European cooperation
Asylum policy is complex and full of conundrums and dilemmas. That is one reason why the idea of external processing has resurfaces regularly in the European debate. It appears as a seemingly easy solution cutting the Gordian knot. More recently, the British ‘Rwanda Star’ has stirred controversies, while the ‘disembarkation platforms’, supported by the European Council in June 2018, were not realised. Somewhat surprisingly, the coalition agreement of the German government took up the idea, as mentioned in a previous contribution to the Blog of the Odysseus Network (‘Germany as a “Modern Country of Immigration”. Projects of the New Government’). A special envoy took office in February who might pursue the idea. Professor Thym discusses the legal, logistical, and political pitfalls an open-ed to Legal Tribune Online (‘Asylverfahren in Drittstaaten: keine perfekte Lösung’) and as an expert opinion in a contribution to SPIEGEL ONLINE. On the recent British asylum proposals, hear the Interview with the WDR2 public radio station.