Since 2014, more than 30,000 people who attempted to reach safety have died on Europe’s borders.[1] People fled persecution, wars and dangers in their home country, only to be confronted with new dangers in the place that was supposed to be their haven. There is a fundamental flaw at the heart of the EU’s asylum policy: the requirement for people applying for asylum to be present on EU territory. This flaw forces people who need protection to undertake dangerous journeys in the hopes of reaching safety. And it leaves some of the most vulnerable, those who cannot make this journey, deprived of any protection. The effect of this flaw is worsened by the lack of safe pathways to reach Europe. Until now, the creation of legal migration paths was primarily the prerogative of the Member States that resettled refugees or provided safe passage into the EU with ‘humanitarian corridors’, which use a special visa.[2] Under the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU legislates on resettlement for the first time.

Previously, Fenix wrote about how the Pact will change the situation at the EU’s external border. This second part of the series unpacks how the new rules will affect people in need of protection who are still outside the EU. Throughout this series, we base our analysis on the testimonies and experiences of the clients we work with in Greece, and on Lesvos in particular.