EU approves major overhaul of migration rules
By Laura Gozzi
After years of negotiations, the European Parliament has approved a major reform of the EU’s migration and asylum rules.
The EU Asylum and Migration Pact has been in the works since 2015. It will come into force in two years’ time.
It is designed to speed up the asylum process and boost the return of irregular migrants to home countries.
It will also require EU member states to share responsibility for asylum seekers.
Last year saw some 380,000 people illegally crossing the EU’s borders – the highest number since 2016.
The EU said the pact combined “mandatory solidarity” between member states with flexibility. Although some EU states remain opposed to parts of the agreement, it is expected to receive full approval at the end of April under majority voting.
Under the proposed rules, the EU’s 27 countries will be required to either take in thousands of migrants from “frontline” countries, such as Greece and Italy, or provide extra funding or resources instead.
The agreement also aims to deal with asylum requests within a maximum of 12 weeks. In case of rejection, asylum seekers would have to be returned forcibly to their home country within the same period.
