New EU Asylum Law CEAS Takes Effect: Experts Doubt Its Impact
The first phase of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) reform came into force on June 12, introducing mandatory border screenings for low-recognition-rate countries, but experts question its effectiveness due to persistent deportation challenges.
After years of preparation, a major reform of the European Union's asylum rules took effect on Friday, June 12. The new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) introduces mandatory preliminary screenings at the EU's external borders, aimed at speeding up procedures for applicants from countries with low asylum recognition rates, such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Nigeria. These asylum seekers will undergo fast-track border procedures in largely closed camps. According to Eurostat, fewer than 20% of applicants from these and dozens of other countries are granted asylum.
Immigration expert Gerald Knaus, founder of the think tank European Stability Initiative (ESI), is skeptical about the reform's success. He argues that deportations to home countries remain difficult and that rejected asylum seekers will simply move to another EU country. "Actually, it has always been the case that the countries where asylum seekers first arrive are responsible for processing their applications. It just hasn't worked out that way. Why should it work now?" he asked.
According to the European Commission, the largest groups of asylum seekers in 2025 came from Afghanistan and Syria, with recognition rates above 20%. Therefore, they go through regular asylum procedures, not border procedures. Responsibility still lies with the first-entry countries. Knaus notes that although Germany and Austria are not on the EU's external border, they have granted more than half of all successful asylum applications in the EU over the past decade. He believes numbers will be influenced more by developments in origin countries than by EU law. For example, since the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024, the number of Syrians leaving has dropped sharply.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt expects CEAS to make it easier to transfer asylum seekers to the first-entry EU country. The reform requires "mandatory solidarity" from member states, but Poland and Hungary have refused. Germany itself has said it will not accept any asylum seekers this year due to being overburdened. To facilitate returns, the government plans to set up "return centers" across German states, but currently only two exist: in Hamburg and Eisenhüttenstadt. There are also plans for "return hubs" in third countries, but they remain on paper. Dobrindt admitted that building them will be "a tough nut to crack."
The number of first-time asylum applications has been falling significantly in Europe and Germany for two years, which Dobrindt attributes to border controls implemented by Germany and nine other EU states. The European Commission has called on Germany to phase out these controls now that CEAS is in force, but Dobrindt insisted on continuing them to avoid sending the wrong signal.
Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has faced a heavy workload to comply with the new rules. The European Commission noted in a report that Germany does not yet meet all CEAS requirements, nor do many other countries, including Greece and Italy. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said June 12 marks the beginning of the journey, not the end, and that "not everything is going to be perfect at the start."
