THE RIGHT OF ASYLUM AND THE RECENT REFUGEE CRISIS ON THE BALKAN ROUTE: THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Abstract

The article examines the current level of protection of the right of asylum in the Macedonian asylum legislation and related practice amid the serious challenges caused by the recent migration and refugee crisis on the Balkan Route. The Asylum Law and practice have been heavily influenced by the Government policies in dealing with the crises of the last year or so, that culminated with the recent permanent closure of the Macedonian border for asylum seekers as part of an concerted European effort to put an end to the migration and refugee flow along the Balkan route. Despite some progressive developments at the normative level, in practice, the necessity for ensuring effective access to proper asylum procedures for asylum seekers transiting through the country has not rarely yielded over the exigencies of shifting Government policy priorities and wider European policies and strategies in dealing with the current refugee crisis. As the process of reaching further harmonization with the EU’s latest asylum legislative package is already underway, much more attention should be paid on increasing the capacity of Macedonian authorities for ensuring stability in the functioning of the asylum system and for effective enforcement of the asylum seekers’ rights.