ECRE has published a comments paper on the Regulation establishing a Common Procedure for International Protection in the EU, commonly known as the Asylum Procedures Regulation (APR). The APR was adopted in June 2024 as one of the central pillars of the reformed Common European Asylum System (CEAS).
This comments paper is the latest in the series of ECRE analyses of the legislation that collectively forms the Pact on Migration and Asylum. It follows comments papers on the Regulation on Asylum and Migration Management, the Regulation on Addressing Situations of Crisis and Force Majeure in the Field of Migration and Asylum, and the Directive Laying Down Standards for the Reception of Applicants for International Protection. It should be read together with the ECRE comments paper on the European Commission proposal an APR (2016) and the comments paper on the European Commission amended proposal for an APR (2020).
In ECRE’s overall view, the changes to the Directive on Common Procedures for Granting and Withdrawing International Protection (Asylum Procedures Directive (APD)) that have been introduced by the APR represent a deterioration in protection standards compared to the status quo. As a result, more people will be detained in centres, usually at the border, and have their applications heard in border procedures. In addition, fewer people are likely to receive protection in Europe given the erosion of procedural guarantees and restrictions on the right to appeal. There may also be more denials of entry due to the increased responsibilities of countries at the external borders.
The comments paper (including an 11-page summary) is available here.