EU member states reach agreement on new asylum and migration pact
The European Union has reached an agreement on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is expected to enter into force next year.
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The EU has agreed on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which includes new regulations regarding asylum seekers and migrants. The agreement, which will come into effect next year, includes the establishment of a new mechanism for sharing asylum applications among EU countries, making asylum, return, and border procedures more effective and flexible, collecting more accurate data to detect unauthorized movements, establishing rules for the identification of non-EU citizens, and increasing security in the Schengen area.
In a statement issued by the European Commission, it was stated that the agreement in question is a significant breakthrough toward a common system for managing migration in the EU, adding, "The agreement reached today reflects the EU's determination to manage migration in a fair and orderly manner by allowing the EU to move from temporary solutions to long-term and sustainable solutions."
According to the new system, countries not located on the EU border will have to choose between accepting their share of 30,000 asylum applications or paying at least 20,000 euros per person into an EU fund. A screening system will attempt to distinguish between those in need of international protection and those who are not, and individuals deemed to pose a security threat may be detained at the border.
Italy describes the agreement as a great success
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described the agreement as a "great success" for Europe and Italy in a statement, expressing that it means EU countries most exposed to migration will no longer feel alone.
"The agreement will lead to more people being effectively detained at EU borders"
In a statement issued by Amnesty International, it was stated that the agreement would set EU asylum law back by decades, and that the agreement was designed to make it harder for people to access safe areas. The statement said, "The agreement will almost certainly lead to more people, including families with children and people in vulnerable situations, being effectively detained at EU borders."