Does the new EU migration pact solve the fundamental problems?
Following years of negotiations between Member States and the European Parliament, there’s finally been a breakthrough for migration policy. What does it mean for the Netherlands, exactly? Mark Klaassen, Assistant Professor in Immigration Law, discusses this on various media channels.
The new pact includes a regulation that provides for the screening of asylum seekers when they cross external borders. Asylum seekers from countries with low recognition rates will then undergo a special border procedure at a designated centre rather than being formally admitted into the EU Member State. The pact also provides for a reform of the Dublin Regulation, under which the Member State through which the asylum seeker first entered Europe is responsible for processing their asylum application. At the same time, the new regulation provides for a solidarity mechanism. The measures will not reduce the number of asylum seekers coming into the Netherlands in the short term and the new legislation will only come into force in 2026. It remains to be seen what its impact will be.
'This is certainly a major political victory for the European Commission and the European Council. The fact that the Member States are now aligned on this issue is a huge achievement,' says Klaassen. He describes the plans as 'patchwork without any real fundamental changes'. The implementation will be a challenge and there will continue to be enormous pressure on Member States such as Italy and Greece.
More information
Read the following article (in Dutch) in:
- de Volkskrant (€)
- de Telegraaf (€)
Photo by Sébastien Goldberg through Unsplash