Input to the Asylum Report 2026

At EU level, some of the most significant policy developments affecting migrant and asylum-seeking women have taken place in the field of asylum and migration, particularly through the adoption of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

In its latest submission, ENoMW analyses how the Pact raises serious concerns for women seeking protection in Europe. Accelerated asylum procedures, expanded use of detention, and increased externalisation measures disproportionately impact women survivors of violence, mothers, and women with disabilities, further limiting access to safety and rights.

The submission recognises that some progress has been made in the recognition of persecution on the basis of sex within asylum procedures, including the acknowledgement of violence against women and harmful practices as grounds for international protection. However, these advances remain uneven and insufficiently implemented in practice.

Access to territory and to asylum procedures continues to be inconsistent across EU Member States. Reports of pushbacks at borders, restricted access to protection systems, and procedural barriers persist, undermining women’s right to seek asylum and exposing them to further harm.

Overall, current implementation trends reveal a prioritisation of efficiency, deterrence and control over protection. Vulnerability assessments remain largely neutral and fail to capture the specific, sex-based risks faced by migrant and asylum-seeking women and girls, resulting in significant protection gaps.

ENoMW’s full submission calls for an asylum system that places women’s rights, safety and dignity at its centre.