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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Sep 4

🚨 New publication out!
Together with @linavosyliute.bsky.social, we examine the EU’s risk of falling into a far-right trap in the negotiations on the Return Regulation.
📄 Published as an open-access Policy Brief by @birmm.bsky.social l — free to read & share!

zenodo.org/records/1696...

The EU's Return Regulation: Negotiating on the Basis of Evidence, not Narratives

zenodo.org

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Aug 25

Our article on the impact on Russia's war against Ukraine on the reform of the Common European Asylum System has finally ended its "early view"-status. It found a home in the current issue of European Politics and Society - and is still freely accessible to all.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The impact of the Russian war against Ukraine on the reform of the common European asylum system

This article analyses how the Russian invasion and the mass influx of Ukrainians have impacted the Europeanisation dynamics in EU asylum policy, notably the process of reforming the Common European...

www.tandfonline.com

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Aug 21

Happy to have engaged with the 'Foundation for Family Businesses and Politics' on the subject of migration, skills shortages and Europe's strive to attract talent.
#SkillsShortage #EuropeanTalent #FamilyBusinesses

youtu.be/0CWWsldfufg?...

Spotlight Brussels with Prof. Florian Trauner: How Can Europe Attract Top Talent?

YouTube video by Stiftung Familienunternehmen und Politik

youtu.be

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Jul 29

Before the 2015 refugee crisis, the cash-strapped World Food Programme had to drop 1/3 of its Syrian refugees from food vouchers in its Middle Eastern programme. A few months later, arrival numbers in Europe increased. Now, 10 years later, all of this seems forgotten...

www.ft.com/content/976f...

Aid cuts are driving migrants to Europe, warns UN refugee chief

Filippo Grandi calls on EU countries to support existing asylum facilities in Africa rather than create new schemes

www.ft.com

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Netzwerk Fluchtforschung @fluchtforschung.bsky.social · Apr 23

Der Fluchtforschungsblog startet die Blogreihe „10 Jahre nach dem langen Sommer der Migration“!

Den Anfang macht der Artikel „Notfallmaßnahmen in der EU-Asylpolitik – Wenn die Ausnahme zur Regel wird“ von Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social.

fluchtforschung.net/notfallmassn...

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Jun 20

On #WorldRefugeeDay, we reflect on the EU’s asylum system—strained by growing use of national emergency powers to control migration.
Is this eroding EU asylum standards?

📘 Read our new @birmm.bsky.social Policy Brief: zenodo.org/records/1565...

#Refugees #EUAsylum #MigrationPolicy

World Refugee Day 2025: don't let national emergency measures become the new standard of EU asylum policy

zenodo.org

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Brussels School of Governance @bsog.be · Jun 17

🎓👏 We are thrilled to share that on 16 June 2025, Folashade Ajayi successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Between making sense of and sensing Black activism in Germany".

The BSoG would like to congratulate Dr. Ajayi on this wonderful achievement!

#PhD #BSoG #VUB #research #BlackActivism

🎓 We are pleased to announce that on 16 June 2025, Folashade Ajayi successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled "Between making sense of and sensing Black activism in Germany".

The BSoG would like to congratulate Dr. Ajayi on this wonderful achievement! 👏

#PhD #BSoG #VUB #research #BlackActivism

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · May 23

Speech of Commissioner Marta Kos at #EUIA25 is now published

ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Speech by Commissioner Marta Kos at the EU International Affairs Conference

All Member States are faced with three great challenges: the challenge of peace, the challenge of freedom and the challenge of prosperity, and it seems clear that they can only be met through the Euro

ec.europa.eu

Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · May 21

“Enlargement remains the greatest geopolitical success of the EU”. Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos at #EUIA25

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · May 21

#EUIA25 has started. Interesting discussion in the EU’s international role. A first panel is chaired by Julien Jeandesboz and concerns liberalism, borders and sovereignty.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · May 19

📢 Join us at BIRMM/VUB for a guest lecture by Prof. Marie-Laure Basilien-Gainche @mlbg.bsky.social: “Bordering, Ordering, Othering: The Legal Thickening of EU Frontiers” 🗓️ 27 May, 🕛 12:00 PM. Open to all – register here 👉 birmm.research.vub.be/bordering-or... #Migration #EUlaw #BIRMM #VUB

Bordering, ordering, othering, ordering: the legal thickening of EU

birmm.research.vub.be

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Apr 23

Ich freue mich sehr, dass mein Beitrag diese neue Blogreihe des Netzwerks @fluchtforschung.bsky.social eröffnet. Er behandelt, wie Mitgliedstaaten anhand von nationalen Notfallmaßnahmen die EU-Asylpolitik mehr und mehr beeinflussen.

Netzwerk Fluchtforschung @fluchtforschung.bsky.social · Apr 23

Der Fluchtforschungsblog startet die Blogreihe „10 Jahre nach dem langen Sommer der Migration“!

Den Anfang macht der Artikel „Notfallmaßnahmen in der EU-Asylpolitik – Wenn die Ausnahme zur Regel wird“ von Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social.

fluchtforschung.net/notfallmassn...

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Apr 17

Pleased to announce our new publications on the role of narratives in migratory decision-making in the Gambia. A particular focus is on whether EU-promoted narratives can compete with local ones and actually influence migratory decision-making.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

The role of EU‐promoted versus local narratives in migratory decision‐making in the Gambia

The EU tries to dissuade potential migrants from coming to Europe irregularly. However, can EU-promoted narratives compete with local ones and actually influence migratory decision-making? This artic....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Apr 8

A great article to understand what Trump is doing to America beyond economic damage. It's about destroying cosmopolitism and installing a security mind-set. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/o...

Opinion | How to Destroy What Makes America Great

Trump’s tariffs erect a wall between Americans and other people, obstructing the flow not only of goods but also of ideas, contacts, technology and friendships.

www.nytimes.com

Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Apr 2

If Frontex is beefed up to 30,000 staffers, it will be increasingly member states assisting Frontex in its activities and no longer Frontex assisting member states in theirs.

www.politico.eu/article/eu-w...

EU wants to beef up border agency to 30,000 staffers

European Commission proposal would increase force of EU border patrols under Frontex.

www.politico.eu

Geopolitics Journal @geopoliticsjournal.bsky.social · Mar 21

Now out and #openaccess in issue 30(2): Democracy Matters (To Some Extent): Autocracies, Democracies and the Forced Return of Migrants from the EU by Philipp Stutz & Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social

Download and read for free:

www.tandfonline.com

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 18

Great initiative by the #VUB, opening up for American scholars and researchers. The @bsog.be may have to play a particular role in this, being the VUB's most international entity and already having several American colleagues.

www.brusselstimes.com/1490737/brus...

Brussels university VUB opens doors to 'censored' American researchers

"US universities and their scholars are the biggest victims of this political and ideological interference. They are seeing millions in research funding disappear for ideological reasons."

www.brusselstimes.com

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Mar 11

Official text of new proposal for EU Regulation on expulsion of non-EU migrants staying irregularly (replacing the current Returns Directive)

Text - home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/proposal-reg...
Press release - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Qs and As - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Proposal for a Regulation establishing a common system for return

home-affairs.ec.europa.eu

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

Overall, the discussion on return hubs may cost a lot of political energy while having little real impact. The negotiations of the EP and Council may concentrate on other, more useful aspects of reforming the EU's return directive.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

3) A policy such as return hubs may turn out to be expensive while effectively targeting only a relatively small number of migrants.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

2) there are tight human rights concerns what may be allowed legally (with the Italy-Albanian deal being a testimony of this);

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

1) third countries tend to face stiff domestic opposition against externalized EU migration policies in their territory; Cooperating on deportation policies is often framed as a betrayal of the interest of the own citizens.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

How will the new Commission plan change the picture? The EU will get new legal possibilities to engage with third countries yet the overarching dynamic may remain comparable:

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

Here is the link to the open access publication: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

The EU's ‘return rate’ with third countries: Why EU readmission agreements do not make much difference

The signing of EU readmission agreements is commonly believed to lead to a higher rate of returns of migrants found ineligible to stay in Europe. By analysing the EU’s ‘return rate’ with the whole wo...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

In a project gathering the EU's return data with every country of the world, we show that the EU's return rate has actually decreased with most third countries, with the exception of the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. Readmission agreements and more EU conditionality did not change much.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 11

The Commission will publish today its proposal "a common system for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the Union". The overarching objective is to increase the EU's return rate and open possibilities for new measures such as return hubs in third countries. A 🧵

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 6

In short, Austria is trying to follow a legal strategy that does not openly violate EU law; that said, Austria is definitely risking that the CJEU may consider that the country overstretches the use of an EU emergency clause.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 6

Here is his full legal analysis (which concerned older cases but is still relevant also for this one): papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Rechtsgutachten über die Anforderungen und Rechtsfolgen des Artikels 72 EU-Arbeitsweisevertrag für die ausnahmsweise Abweichung vom EU-Asylrecht (Expert Opinion about the Requirements and Legal Effect...

<b>German abstract:</b> Seit 2016 wird in Österreich und Deutschland darüber diskutiert, ob Art. 72 AEUV den Mitgliedstaaten ausnahmsweise gestattet, von der EU

papers.ssrn.com

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 6

"A resort to Article 72 TFEU constitutes an ultima ratio if all other courses of action at the European level have proven to be insufficient. This would need to be substantiated in case of doubt", writes the German legal scholar Daniel Thym.

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Florian Trauner @ftrauner.bsky.social · Mar 6

Austria will have to make a very convincing case that capacity issues in the educational sector are indeed impossible to solve without these extreme measure. The court may not appreciate an invocation for primarily political signaling.

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