Adopted in the EU Parliament, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: 'We now have the legal basis for strong external borders'

European Commission President von der Leyen held a press conference regarding the EU's Migration and Asylum Pact, which was voted on and adopted in the European Parliament.

"Today is a truly historic day. After years of intensive work, the Migration and Asylum Pact is becoming a reality. This is a great achievement for Europe," said von der Leyen, continuing as follows:

"This will make a real difference for all Europeans. First, it means more secure European borders, registering and screening everyone to know exactly who is crossing our borders, while also ensuring the protection of fundamental rights through independent monitoring. Second, faster and more effective procedures for asylum and return. This means that those who do not have the right to asylum will not be allowed to enter the EU, while those fleeing war or persecution can rely on the protection they need.

We now have the legal basis for strong external borders. Every migrant arriving at these borders will be treated in the same fair and firm manner. Those who need protection will be protected, but those who do not need protection will have to return to their countries."

Touching on the importance of partnerships with neighboring countries, von der Leyen noted that these partnerships are also important in promoting legal migration.

GOAL: DISTRIBUTE MIGRANTS AMONG MEMBER STATES

Since the migration crisis that erupted in 2015, the EU administration has been seeking answers to questions about how migrants would be distributed among member states or returned after setting foot on European soil.

The agreement approved in the EP today is based on the new rules that von der Leyen announced in her first "State of the Union" speech in the European Parliament in September 2020, about a year after she took office. In countless meetings held until today, member states had been unable to reach a consensus on the rules.

The new rules primarily aim to take the migration burden off the countries of first arrival and distribute it among all members. Strengthening the EU's external borders, expediting the processing of asylum applications, accelerating the return of those whose applications are rejected to their countries of origin, and increasing cooperation with source countries are among the other important elements of the agreement.

International human rights organizations are concerned that the expansion of border controls under the EU's new migration and asylum rules could pave the way for migrants to remain in detention centers for months. Furthermore, they point to the risk of violating obligations under refugee law and international human rights law in practice, as the rules provide various exemptions to member states in cases of "force majeure."

Human rights organizations state that the EU's agreements with third countries represent a step toward "externalizing" border control and avoiding Europe's responsibilities for refugee protection.

The new rules could be implemented in 2 years.

News Source: 12punto