Policy Brief 2: Critical gaps in the implementation of EU and selected Member States’ policies on migrating from Asia to the European Union

This Policy Brief stems from the analysis of the AspirE Project’s country reports on selected EU Member States (Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Portugal) and Asian territory/countries (Hong Kong and mainland China, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). These reports examined policies covering labour migration, family reunification, student mobility, investment-related mobility, tourism, and free movement within the Schengen area. The reports highlight that non-EU nationals are categorised and framed in a hierarchical way in migration policies, and that their place in the hierarchy of non-EU nationals determines their rights and degree of institutional control they are subjected to during their applications for entry, residence, and/or circulation within the EU. The analysis reveals three critical gaps (qualitative, quantitative, and temporal) in the implementation of these policies. To address these discriminatory gaps, this Policy Brief addresses three recommendations to the European Commission.