Beyond Stockholm: overcoming the inconsistencies of immigration policy

With the adoption of the Stockholm Programme for Justice and Home Affairs, the question of where next for immigration and asylum policy remains unsolved. This EPC Working Paper argues that policy-makers must focus on a few thorny issues such as completing border control projects and reconciling them with an equitable European asylum policy, and tackling undocumented migration by developing national regularisation criteria. At present the Directorate-General for Justice, Liberty and Security (JLS) is responsible for immigration policy, but this paper suggests ‘outsourcing’ it to more appropriate DGs, like Employment and Social Affairs, External Relations or Trade.