Procedural barriers to asylum in the EU and the role of courts: an experts' roundtable

This seminar will host a roundtable discussion on the difficulties people on the move face in accessing asylum procedures after entering a state’s territory. It will begin by outlining the main procedural barriers encountered in practice, based on experiences on the ground. The discussion will then turn to how courts address these barriers, considering whether they are compatible with legal standards and which social, political, or institutional factors may influence judicial reasoning. A specific focus will be placed on the suspension of the right to asylum as a major procedural obstacle, examining how such suspensions operate in practice and how courts may approach them. The seminar will conclude with a forward-looking discussion on what the forthcoming implementation of the new asylum pact may mean for access to asylum procedures and the role of courts. Experts from two crucial countries at the EU external borders, Greece and Poland, will engage in an interactive discussion on procedural barriers to asylum in these countries, highlighting the role – if any – that domestic Courts are having or may have in tackling unlawful practices and policies, and what we can expect with the forthcoming implementation of the New Pact.