The Times: EU plans major overhaul of refugee convention amid migration crisis

The European Union is preparing a significant overhaul of the post-World War II Refugee Convention, with plans to revise the rules that prevent countries from rejecting asylum seekers at their borders.

This shift, expected to be one of the most profound changes in migration policy in decades, reflects growing concerns about the current system’s ability to cope with the evolving geopolitical and social landscape, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Times.

A diplomatic paper, seen by The Times, argues that the 1951 Refugee Convention, created in the aftermath of the Second World War, no longer addresses the challenges Europe faces today. The Convention’s cornerstone principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of asylum seekers to countries where their life or freedom is at risk, is coming under increasing scrutiny. The paper highlights the need for reform, noting that the convention’s principles were drafted in a vastly different geopolitical era.

The EU's push for change comes amid rising concerns over the mounting number of asylum requests in Europe, which have remained high in recent years, with over one million asylum applications last year alone. National governments are grappling with how to manage the influx of migrants, particularly those who do not seek to integrate into European societies, but instead form separate communities with norms that sometimes conflict with European values.

The debate is further fueled by instances in countries like Germany, where failed asylum seekers or those with permanent residence have committed violent crimes and are protected from deportation by the very refugee laws meant to shield them. The paper, which has circulated among EU diplomats, underscores the growing security concerns posed by migrants with criminal backgrounds or those deemed a threat to public safety.

The EU is contemplating a more flexible approach to asylum law, permitting restrictions on asylum claims in response to what it calls the "new reality" of mass migration and security risks. However, the plan is not about deporting all migrants, but rather focusing on those who have been denied asylum or have criminal convictions.

In Germany, migration has become a key issue in the upcoming federal elections. Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, with support from the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), has called for stricter measures to curb asylum claims, fueling the political debate.

By Khagan Isayev