In 2015 the European Union (EU) experienced an unprecedented influx of refugees and migrants (the socalled “the migration crisis”). The European Union and its Member States were not sufficiently prepared to respond effectively. The integrity of both the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and of the Schengen area of free movement for European citizens were put into question. In the European Agenda on Migration (2015) the European Commission set out both shortand long-term solidarity measures for EU action. The aim of this work is primarily to examine how the principle of solidarity has been understood in the context of the EU’s asylum policy (part 2) and how it has been implemented internally – between Member States- (part 3) and externally – with third countries - (part 4). Some essential criteria for the current debate on the future of the CEAS are expounded upon in the conclusions (part 5).