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The Migration and Asylum Pact, adopted in May 2024, comes into force in all European Union countries on Friday. The document provides for a major overhaul of the EU's migration and asylum systems and forms the basis for a new EU approach to regulating migration processes, Interfax reports.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that migration is a pan-European challenge that must be addressed at the EU-wide level. According to her, the new pact aims to ensure more reliable protection of external borders, strengthen solidarity between Member States, and improve the efficiency of asylum and return procedures.
The European Commission noted that for the first time, the European Union is introducing a comprehensive migration and asylum system that provides for robust protection of external borders, fair and strict rules for examining asylum applications, and a balance between the principles of solidarity and responsibility.
According to the European Commission, the new mechanism will be combined with proactive migration diplomacy, the use of modern border security technologies, including the introduction and full implementation of an entry and exit system, and new rules aimed at accelerating and increasing the effectiveness of migrant return procedures. These measures are envisaged by the European Strategy for Asylum and Migration Management.
Brussels also reported that the new approach is already showing results. According to the European Commission, the number of illegal crossings of the EU's external borders has decreased by 55 percent compared to two years ago.
The Migration Pact provides for mandatory registration and security screening of all irregular migrants crossing the European Union's borders. Furthermore, the document introduces expedited border procedures and stricter mechanisms for the deportation of individuals denied international protection.
The new rules also provide for stricter asylum procedures. Specifically, application processing times are being shortened and stricter measures are being introduced against abuse of the system and repeated applications.
At the same time, the European Commission emphasizes that the implementation of such a large-scale reform package will require significant legal and organizational efforts on the part of EU member states.
To mark the entry into force of the new migration pact, an informal conference of EU interior ministers will be held in Nicosia on Friday, organised by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
