Asylum seekers and the European Union: past, present and future

The fall of Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism have dramatically altered the asylum landscape across the continent to the extent that some observers fear that the basic concept of asylum is in jeopardy. The changing polices of the Union from the Treaty of Maastricht to the Treaty of Amsterdam demonstrates how the interests of the member states have had contradictory demands for the restriction of the flows of refugees and asylum seekers into the European Union. This article examines in the effects of the flows of refugees and asylum seekers into the European Union, and the changing policies of the Union from the Treaty of Maastricht to the Treaty of Amsterdam. Finally, the article will discuss the main reasons of the asylum dilemma in the EU and the conclusion will be supported by some remarks and recommendations.