Navigating the human rights trajectory of the EU migration and Asylum Pact in search and rescue operations (part one)

Abstract

The problem of maritime migration has been at the forefront of the European Union (EU)’s legislative and policy making landscape for decades. The Common European Asylum System (CEAS) was established in 1999 with the objective of improving cooperation on asylum matters and has developed in stages periodically since then. Following unprecedented numbers of arrivals in 2015, the European Commission attempted to reform the CEAS through a package of proposals aimed at addressing the deficiencies apparent in the existing framework. These ultimately failed due to disagreement on the principles of solidarity and shared responsibility. In the meantime, the migration crisis has shown no signs of being alleviated. As of 8 of September 2024, sea arrivals in Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Malta amounted to 114, 547 with 1,006 estimated dead or missing.