External Migration and Asylum Management: Accountability for Executive Action Outside EU-territory

Abstract

EU migration and asylum law, an area of administrative law par excellence, has from the moment that the EU acquired competences in this field, had a very strong external dimension. By looking at three areas of EU migration and asylum policy: visa policy, refugee resettlement and border management through Frontex operational activity, it will be shown that, notwithstanding significant improvements, a restrictive interpretation of the scope of EU law and the multi-level structure of EU executive action continue to pose challenges in holding the EU and its Member States to account.