EU Implements New Migration Pact to Reduce Numbers and Reform Asylum System

The European Union has reached an agreement on new rules aimed at sharing the cost and responsibility of hosting migrants more evenly and reducing the number of people entering the EU. The laws, collectively known as the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, cover various aspects such as screening irregular migrants, handling asylum applications, determining responsibility for processing applications, and managing crises. The new system allows countries not at the border to choose between accepting refugees or contributing to an EU fund. It also includes a screening system to differentiate between those in need of international protection and others, while allowing for the detention of individuals with low chances of successful asylum applications or those deemed a security threat. Critics argue that the new rules may lead to the creation of prison camps at the EU's borders.