EU reaches agreement on ‘long overdue’ rules to manage migration and asylum
- The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres, and accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants
- The accord still needs to be formally approved by the European Council, and the European Parliament before it enters the bloc’s lawbooks
EU countries and lawmakers reached an agreement on Wednesday on an overhaul of the bloc’s laws on handling asylum seekers and migrants, officials said.
The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, creating border detention centres, accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants and a solidarity mechanism to take pressure off southern countries experiencing big inflows.
Spain, which chaired the lengthy negotiations in its role holding the EU presidency, said on X, formerly Twitter: “A political agreement has been reached on the five files of the EU new Pact on Migration and Asylum.”
European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas said: “It’s been a long road to get here. But we made it. Europe is finally delivering on migration.”
The agreement on a common European asylum system was urgently needed and long overdue
Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen added that “migration is a common European challenge – today’s decision will allow us to manage it together”.