The Instruments of Pre-border Control in the EU: A New Source of Vulnerability for Asylum Seekers?

Abstract

This article explores the system of pre-border control instruments that have been implemented by the EU and Member States in order to prevent asylum seekers from accessing the EU territory. The main argument is that these instruments constitute a new source of vulnerability for asylum-seekers and refugees. The article analyses some of the main passive and active measures of interception of refugees (EU Visa Regime, carrier sanctions, Immigration Liaison Officers and interception at sea) and the main legal problems regarding their compatibility with the international legal framework for the protection of refugees, notably with the principle of non-refoulement.