EMN Studies and Policy Briefs

This EMN study provides an overview of the changes to national strategies, approaches and measures in response to the unprecedented migratory movements to EU Member States and Norway between 2014 and 2016. In particular, the study examines the changes made in the processing of applications for international protection; reception services; registration procedures; asylum procedures (including rights afforded to applicants) and the content/legal consequences of the protection granted; border control and law enforcement; integration measures; plus other areas impacted by these policies. It draws out key challenges, good practices and lessons learnt during this period. Finally, the study shows the extent to which the (Member) States included in this study are operationally and organisationally prepared for potentially similar situations in the future.

The study aims to explore the situation of unaccompanied minors who have been granted a residence permit or issued a return decision, and in turn, the approaches established by (Member) States to their integration or (voluntary) return. The study also covers unaccompanied minors who cannot be returned immediately and may be granted a temporary status, such as tolerated stay, at least in some (Member) States. The main findings of the study are briefly explained in the new EMN video.

This study aims at analysing the impact of EU rules on return and related case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union – on Member States’ return policies and practices and hence on the effectiveness of return decisions issued across the EU. The study will also seek to provide an overview of the challenges encountered by Member States in effectively implementing returns, as well as identify any good practices developed to ensure the enforcement of return obligations.

The aim of this Study is to present an overview of the challenges faced by national authorities in their efforts to reliably establish and verify the identity of third-country nationals within the context of various migration procedures and of national practices of EU Member States to address those challenges. This study updates and supplements the 2013 EMN Study “Establishing Identity for International Protection: Challenges and Practices”.

The Study presents a comparative overview and analysis the measures in place at Member States level to fight the illegal employment of TCNs, possible problematic areas and obstacles in this field and strategies and good practices to overcome them. The Study examines each stage of the illegal employment policy ‘cycle’ for TCNs: (i) preventive measures and incentives for employers and employees; (ii) identification of illegal employment of TCNs; (iii) sanctions for employers and (iv) outcomes for employees.

Study identifies both commonalities and differences between EU (Member) States’ and Norway's policies and practices on family reunification, which depend to a great extent on EU (Member) States’ discretion, despite being guided by the framework established by the Family Reunification Directive (2003/86/EC) at EU level. Study provides up-to-date information and highlights a number of modifications which have been adopted by some EU (Member) States and Norway since 2011. Moreover, the study includes a review of some of the relevant case law in the field of family reunification.

Study analyses the differences in between the return procedures of respective EU Member States and specific challenges these countries face when returning the rejected asylum seekers. Study also gives an overview of the national policies of EU Member States in the field of return as well as of legal frameworks. Furthermore, situations when return of third-country nationals is not immediately possible, practices adopted by each EU Member States to address these situations, as well as measures these countries are implementing to encourage rejected asylum seekers to leave the EU territory are examined, too.

Study offers a comprehensive overview of policies and practices on the functioning of resettlement, humanitarian admission programmes and schemes, as well as private sponsorship programmes for refugees in the EU Member States and Norway. Study analysis the national political contexts and focuses predominantly at methods and criteria used for selecting persons to be resettled, and activities undertaken prior to departure to the resettlement country, post-arrival integration measures, as well as challenges and good practices in the implementation of resettlement and humanitarian programmes/schemes in Europe.