Chair of Public, European and International Law

Politicians across European have promoted external processing in safe third countries for more than 20 years. Finally, the idea may face the reality check if the British government moves ahead with the controversial returns to Rwanda. If that happened, to critical questions would arise: firstly, will British courts and the ECtHR in Strasbourg accept the claim of the British government that the local asylum system works effectively in accordance with European standards; secondly, will it be…

After eight years of strenuous negotiations, the European Parliament has given its consent to the seminal reform package. This endpoint of the negotiations is the starting shot for implementation, which might prove the at least as cumbersome. Professor Thym explains practical pitfalls in an interview with WELT TV (‘Die Verfahren sind zu kompliziert und dauern viel zu lange’) with regard to border procedures, secondary movements and return. It is in the self-interest of the EU institutions and…

In a unique line of judgments, the German constitutional court interprets the German constitution to require near-equal treatment of asylum applicants and returnees with German nationals in the domain of core social benefits, while the precise contours of the case law are contested. Professor Thym joins an expert hearing in the Committee for Work and Social Affairs of the German parliament, both with a written statement and orally (in German). His views have also been taken up by newspaper…