Stricter rules for migrants in the EU from today

A review of immigration and asylum policy comes into force across the European Union today, after ten years of preparation, at a time when EU countries are under increasing pressure from far-right nationalist parties.

The EU-wide agreement introduces stricter border controls, faster processing of applications, expanded use of digital tools to track asylum applications and increased deportations. It was adopted in 2024 with a two-year implementation period.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the pact as "fair and decisive" and said it would provide "safer external borders, solidarity between member states and more efficient asylum and return procedures."

It is the EU's main joint response to demands for change that have grown over the past decade, since 2015, when more than a million people arrived in Europe seeking asylum. The majority were Syrians fleeing civil war and crossing the European continent on foot.

However, the level of readiness for these changes varies among the 27 EU member states, which raises some doubts about how quickly the reform will be implemented and how effective it will be.

"We have to understand that almost no member state is 100 percent ready. This is all the more disappointing because we are not starting from scratch," said Birgit Sipel, a German center-left MEP.

Member states are still struggling to put in place complex new rules, although a tough stance on migration is likely to be one of the key themes of election campaigns in France, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain next year.

“The political center of gravity has already shifted significantly to the right over the past decade,” said Roberto Forin of the Center for Mixed Migration (MMC), a think tank that collects data along migrant routes.

"Every election cycle carries the risk of normalizing views that would have been considered extreme just a few years ago."

False dilemma

Some critics argue that the reforms rely too much on deterring migrants and ignore the root causes of migration, including conflict, poverty and political repression.

Roberto Forin pointed to a survey his organization conducted last year of more than 4.000 migrants on Mediterranean routes. The survey found that 64% of respondents were not discouraged by the policies of the EU and national governments, while less than 1% said they had given up on their plans because of those policies.

"The debate is trapped in a false dilemma... as if the only way to show control is to impose restrictions and deterrence," he said.

The pact introduces a new "solidarity mechanism" that requires EU member states that receive fewer asylum applications to either accept the relocation of asylum seekers or provide financial assistance or operational support to countries that receive larger numbers of migrants.

However, critics argue that the mechanism lacks strong enforcement instruments, but rather relies mainly on political pressure, which could further increase tensions among member states.

While migration pressure has eased, member states want to keep arrivals low. EU data shows that irregular arrivals fell by 26% last year, to their lowest level since 2021, while asylum applications have also declined.

"I expect that member states will do everything they can to keep the number of arrivals, as well as the pressure on their asylum systems, low, in order to reduce the risk that the new rules will be put to a serious test too soon," said Alberto Horst Neidhart, senior policy analyst at the Center for European Policy.

European countries are also seeking to establish centers outside the European Union to which rejected asylum seekers could be deported.

The European Commission says it supports the implementation of the reform through new financial resources, and has proposed a budget of 6,34 billion euros ($6,8 billion) for migration, border management and internal security in the next seven-year budget period.

The Pact also contains protective measures aimed at preserving the rights of vulnerable groups.

However, human rights organizations and some analysts warn that the new framework restricts access to asylum and weakens existing protection guarantees. The expanded use of detention could lead to asylum seekers being held for months, with possible restrictions on access to services and rights.

“Our fear is that poor legislation, combined with a lack of will to enforce standards, is leading to a continuation of this race towards ever lower standards,” said Minos Muzorakis, a lawyer with the Greek NGO Aegean Refugee Support Center.