Section 2. Major developments in asylum in the European Union in 2021
Section 2 presents an overview of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and the latest legislative and policy developments in its evolution at the EU level, set against the backdrop of key developments in 2021 and early 2022. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan created renewed waves of displacement in the region, state-sponsored smuggling of migrants by the Belarusian regime presented new challenges at the EU’s external borders, the Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in millions of people seeking protection in EU+ countries. These developments, standing as testaments to a constantly-evolving migratory landscape, highlighted the imperative of having a comprehensive European toolbox of legislative, policy and practical measures to respond effectively to new migration challenges and provide protection solutions.
Progress was made and important steps were taken toward the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum at the technical and political levels, while further political agreement on some key elements of the pact is still to be achieved.
This section also provides an overview of jurisprudence by the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU), which in 2021 issued a record number of judgments in the area of international protection and related topics.
