With the development towards comprehensive and more sophisticated border control regimes, the problem of protection seekers’ access to EU territory has increasingly come into focus. Disorderly movement is presently the main avenue to safety in the EU, and human smugglers act as important

facilitators. Single European states have sought ways out of this dilemma, and pioneered techniques of externalised processing. One of them is the operation of Protected Entry Procedures from the platform of diplomatic representations, allowing a non-national

- to approach the potential host state outside its territory with a claim for asylum or other forms of international protection, and

- to be granted an entry permit in case of a positive response to that claim, be it preliminary or final.

Provided they are well-crafted, Protected Entry Procedures could drain parts of the market for human smuggling, attract

bona fide refugees who presently opt for the smuggling services and thereby decrease the total number of disorderly arrivals and partially eliminate the problem of returning the rejected caseload. An obvious security advantage for states is to know in advance who wishes to enter their territory. In addition, important synergies with integration and labour

immigration policies can be created.