Fast-track, accelerated, and expedited asylum procedures as a tool of exclusion

This chapter examines the proliferation and expansion of fast track policies that accelerate and simplify asylum procedures for certain categories of arrivals. Drawing on examples from Europe, Australia and North America, I chart the evolution and spread of fast track policies. Building on my earlier work on hyper-legalism and obfuscation, I show how these tactics have been used to expand fast track policies and erode procedural safeguards, while allowing governments to claim the rhetorical and political benefits of ostensible compliance with international law. The chapter concludes with some proposed strategies for counter-acting the use of fast track policies and advocating for more robust procedural safeguards.