- EU Parliament has approved significant migration and asylum rule reform.
- It aims to expedite the asylum process and enhance migrant return.
The European (EU) Parliament approved a major reform tightening the EU’s migration and asylum rules. The reform, which has been in the works since 2015, will be effective in two years.
It aims to speed up the asylum process and boost the return of irregular migrants. EU member states must share responsibility for asylum seekers.
In 2023, 380,000 people illegally crossed the EU’s borders—the highest number since 2016. The pact combines “mandatory solidarity” with flexibility.
Despite opposition from some EU states, it is expected to receive full approval through majority voting by the end of April. Under the proposed rules, EU countries must take in migrants or provide extra funding/resources.
Asylum claims with “low chances of being accepted” should be examined rapidly without necessarily admitting the applicant into EU territory. The agreement aims to process asylum requests within a maximum of 12 weeks.
Rejected asylum seekers would have to be forcibly returned to their home country within the same period.