EU reaches landmark agreement on asylum reform: Journey to Ratification Begins
The European Council and European Parliament have achieved a groundbreaking agreement on asylum reform, signaling a significant transformation of the EU's legal framework on migration
The European Union has achieved a provisional agreement to thoroughly overhaul its laws on asylum and migration, a move being hailed as a landmark, but which could face challenges as each member state comes to approve it. The deal encompasses the political elements of five EU laws that address all stages of asylum and migration management, according to the European Council in a statement. It was added that all five are components of the migration and asylum pact proposed by the European Commission in 2020.
The European Council has agreed on five new laws that address issues such as screening irregular migrants, handling asylum applications, determining responsibility for asylum applications, and managing crisis situations. According to the European Council statement, once adopted, these rules will improve the effectiveness of the European asylum system and increase solidarity between member states by alleviating the burden on those where most migrants arrive.
The ongoing issue of unequal migrant distribution among EU members has led to a new proposal. According to the plan, EU countries not bordering migrants will need to either accept 30,000 asylum applicants or contribute a minimum of 20,000 euros ($21,870) per person to an EU fund. This agreement was reached between the current Spanish presidency of the European Council and the European Parliament, which rotates every six months among member states.
Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, praised the agreement as historic. However, the formal deal must still be approved by all 27 members of the European Union and ratified by the Parliament, as multiple blocs of parliamentarians oppose the deal. The European Council indicated that the next step in the process will be submitting the provisional agreement to member states for confirmation.
"Metsola announced on social media that December 20th, 2023 will be remembered as the day the EU achieved a significant milestone with a new agreement on migration and asylum rules. The deal has faced criticism from refugee charities and various members of the European Parliament."
The Italian island of Lampedusa, close to Africa, has long been a flashpoint.
Zakaria Abdelkafi/AFP/Getty Images
According to the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, an alliance of 117 NGOs dedicated to safeguarding asylum seekers, the agreement is described as a "bleak day for Europe" on social media.
Amnesty International responded to the agreement on Wednesday, stating that it "will result in an increase in hardship for asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants at every stage of their journeys."
The politics of migration
Europe has been grappling with the challenge of addressing the significant increase in refugees in recent years, particularly on the right side of the political spectrum. Its geographic location and reputation for human rights and refugee support have made it a sought-after haven for those escaping from conflict.
The EU's extensive external border extends from the Mediterranean Sea, near North Africa and the Middle East, to land borders with Russia in the east. As a result of conflicts in these regions in recent decades, there has been a significant influx of people seeking entry into Europe.
The EU also faces distinctive challenges with irregular migration, particularly due to the fact that 22 of the 27 EU member states are part of the borderless Schengen area, complicating the tracking of movement across the bloc.
Many Europeans are unwilling to give up frictionless movement for economic reasons, but the lack of control over migration presents a significant challenge. This dynamic creates opportunities for anti-EU politicians to criticize Brussels, which is a common political strategy across the bloc. For opposition parties, this means they can hold their own governments accountable for their domestic migration policies.
The day prior to the EU's migration deal, the French parliament approved a contentious immigration bill, hailed as an "undeniable ideological triumph" by Marine Le Pen, the prominent far-right politician in France.
