Reception conditions for asylum seekers: Inherent duality

Asylum seekers find themselves in a precarious in-between situation. Their claim for international protection might be accepted, which results in legal residency, or rejected, which would result in unlawful residency and an obligation to return to their country of origin. This insecure in-between situation is reflected in the policies aimed at the reception of asylum seekers. This chapter examines how this inherent duality in the status of asylum seekers and the contradictory objectives of reception policies are reflected in the standards laid down in Directive 2013/33/EU on reception conditions for asylum seekers. Second, this chapter examines the relevance of this Directive, by examining to what extent it puts limits on restrictive policies, introduced by Member States during the 2015 'refugee crisis' or the 2020 covid19 pandemic.