All articles tagged with #migration reform
The European Commission announced that Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus will benefit from a new solidarity mechanism in 2026 to manage migratory pressure, involving relocation or financial contributions from other EU countries, amid ongoing disagreements and exemptions sought by some member states.
The European Parliament narrowly approved the wide-reaching reform of the EU's migration and asylum policy, known as the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which aims to establish collective and predictable rules for managing asylum seekers. The reform, which still needs final approval from member states, includes measures such as mandatory solidarity among countries and fast-tracked border procedures. The vote was preceded by dissent and criticism from various groups, with concerns raised about potential human rights violations. Despite the approval, the reform's effectiveness and impact remain to be seen, as it will take about two years to fully enter into force.
The far-right leaders of Hungary and Poland have rejected a group statement on irregular migration at a summit of European leaders. The clash highlights the ongoing division within the European Union over how to address irregular migration, which has become a central focus of far-right parties. The leaders of Hungary and Poland have been pushing back against the idea of all European countries sharing the distribution of newly arrived migrants, with Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki criticizing a "dictate coming from Brussels and Berlin." The summit did reach a deal on addressing periods of high arrivals, but the issue of migration remains a contentious one within the EU.
EU ambassadors from the 27 member states have reached an agreement on reforms to migration policy, focusing on addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum. The agreement will serve as the basis for further negotiations between member states and the European Parliament, with a vote expected next year. The deal aims to relieve pressure on countries receiving large influxes of migrants by relocating arrivals to other EU states, and countries that refuse to host asylum-seekers would be required to financially compensate those that do. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the agreement as a "gamechanger."
Italy has delayed the final decision on the EU's migration reform, despite Germany agreeing to a compromise. The delay has dashed hopes of reaching a deal by the end of the day, but EU officials remain optimistic that an agreement will be reached in the coming days. Italy has requested more time to examine the proposal from a legal standpoint. The reform aims to address the handling of asylum seekers during spikes in migration and has been a topic of discussion for almost 10 years. Without Italy's support, any agreement is politically impossible.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that decisions regarding the European Union's migration policy will be made by qualified majority, rejecting the demands of Hungary and Poland for unanimity. The dispute arose after a provisional deal on a proposed regulation for a new system of "mandatory solidarity" was reached, which was met with opposition from Hungary and Poland. Von der Leyen emphasized that the voting rules laid out in the founding treaties must be followed, and expressed optimism about the progress of migration reform. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also supported the use of qualified majority voting and called for a balanced approach that combines responsibility and solidarity.
Poland and Hungary have successfully blocked the adoption of joint conclusions on migration at the European Council summit, deleting several anticipated paragraphs on the topic. The two countries oppose a proposed reform of the EU's migration policy, which includes a system of "mandatory solidarity" and offers member states three options to collectively deal with migration flows. Poland and Hungary claim the reform would impose compulsory quotas on the distribution of asylum seekers, leading to financial penalties. They also resent the fact that the reform was adopted by a qualified majority, depriving them of veto power.
Negotiations for a major overhaul of the EU's asylum policies are still ongoing, with officials fighting over how to distribute migrants more evenly across Europe. While a deal is not out of the question, numerous issues remain unresolved, including the scope of a rule to simplify the return of rejected asylum seekers and whether children should be exempt from the asylum processing system at the border. The EU's three most populous countries have yet to decide whether they would support the migration package and are demanding major concessions.