EU migration and asylum pact takes effect after years of talks
The new EU policy adds tougher entry measures, drawing criticism from rights groups, the left and the right.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
The European Union’s migration and asylum pact has entered into force, Al Jazeera reported, putting into practice a policy shaped by years of negotiations among member states. The rules matter because they change how the bloc handles people seeking asylum and other migrants arriving at its borders.
According to Al Jazeera, the pact began applying on Friday. It brings in tougher measures for people seeking to enter the EU, though the report did not detail each rule or how member states will apply them.
The agreement follows a long political fight inside the bloc over responsibility for incoming asylum seekers and other migrants, Al Jazeera reported. Migration policy has divided EU governments, with the question of who should process, host or return arrivals remaining one of the bloc’s most contested issues.
Human rights groups and left-wing critics say the reforms could weaken protections for people seeking refuge, according to Al Jazeera. Their concern is that stricter controls may come at the expense of rights for asylum seekers and others fleeing danger.
Right-wing critics, by contrast, argue the policy is too limited, Al Jazeera reported. That opposition points to the political pressure on EU leaders from more than one direction: some critics see the pact as too harsh, while others say it does not do enough to restrict migration.
Al Jazeera said the pact has raised questions about whether tougher rules will deter people from trying to reach Europe. The broadcaster also framed the policy as part of a wider debate over how the bloc’s internal politics shaped the final agreement.
Al Jazeera discussed the issue in a 27-minute programme presented by Anna Francis-Burns. The guests were Marta Welander, EU advocacy director at the International Rescue Committee; Nathalie Tocci, professor of practice at Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe; and Pieter Cleppe, editor-in-chief at BrusselsReport.eu.
The pact’s entry into force marks the end of one stage of the EU’s migration debate and the start of another: how the new system works in practice. Al Jazeera reported that the disagreement over the policy’s effects remains unresolved as the rules begin to apply.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.