Several European countries reached an important agreement on Wednesday to revamp their joint migration system, striking a series of compromises to address mounting pressure from far-right political parties across the continent.
The plan, dubbed the European Union migration and asylum pact, was the culmination of three years’ worth of negotiations. With anti-migrant sentiment on the rise and shifting the political landscape to the right in Europe and beyond, negotiators faced the challenge of finalizing the agreement ahead of elections this summer across the bloc’s 27 nations.
The goal of the agreement is to facilitate the deportation of failed asylum seekers and to restrict the entry of migrants into the bloc. It also aims to give governments more control over their borders while strengthening the E.U.’s role in migration management, treating it not just as a national issue, but as a European one.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that migration is a European challenge requiring European solutions. She stressed that Europeans should decide who comes to the E.U. and who can stay, not the smugglers. The pact calls for the rapid assessment of asylum eligibility at borders and aims to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to move from the countries they arrive in. Additionally, it includes a “solidarity mechanism” where countries receiving fewer asylum seekers will help those receiving more.
Critics have raised concerns about how the agreement will provide adequate protections for the right to claim asylum and the lack of policies or funding to address the thousands of asylum seekers who die trying to reach Europe each year. However, the agreement must still pass through the European Union’s approval process, which is widely expected due to its approval by negotiators from all E.U. institutions.
The broad, politically charged debates on migration come amid labor shortages across the European Union. Geographically, the European Union is close to conflict zones in the Middle East and Asia, as well as regions grappling with poverty and slow job creation, all driving people to seek safety and a better future in the bloc.