Report on the importance of the local level as a venue and political base for the CEAS

This report provides a comparative overview of the analysis of research results established in work packages 1 to 7 of the CEASEVAL project and formulates, which and how, alternative forms of asylum policies ensue. After presenting the theoretical basis for this report, which builds on an earlier project’s publication (Doomernik & Ardon 2018) and is enriched by the empirical findings of the CEASEVAL research that connects the relevance of a local perspective with an analysis and review of alternative forms of shaping the Common European Asylum System. To transform the CEAS into a sustainable and equitable common asylum and migration framework this report points towards three possible fundamental changes that might make the CEAS more sustainable and foster equity. First, for local and regional authorities (LRAs) to follow their local logic and needs one might suggest that they could benefit from direct EU funding and more autonomy from the Member States in the field of asylum and refugee integration policies. Second, this might include discretionary powers to grant some (limited) form of citizenship based on the notion of ‘jus domicile’ regardless of formal legal status. Third, it might considerably increase the odds of effective inclusion of refugees and thus reduce societal costs, if the EU were to have a refugee status valid for all its member states or the right for refugees to have their protection status transferred from one Member State to the other.

Keywords: asylum seekers, refugees, local level, CEAS, policy-making, EU, reform, allocation