“This is the most important legislative agreement of this mandate.”, said Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. This Wednesday, the European Union succeeded in concluding an agreement on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, with which it seeks to manage the flows of immigrants into its territory in a predictable and orderly manner. They have been trying for more than seven years.” “This is an unprecedented reform. If there is political will, it is possible. We know it is not ideal, but it is better than what we had before. We can show that Europe has solutions,” Metsola added.

The Spanish Presidency facilitated this agreement.. And it will finally be completed by the Belgian presidency. “Today we can be proud of Europe. This is an example of a constructive Europe on the eve of an election year in Europe,” he concluded.

An agreement has been reached. This is an agreement between representatives of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Commission, and is yet to be formalized and adopted by the Twenty-Seven and the European Parliament in the first half of the year. 2024, before the European elections, which will be held in the 27 countries of the community from June 6 to 9.

The immigration pact consists of five rules.: control and processing of migrant data; control of external borders; legal protection and necessary resources; crisis management; and the management and care of asylum seekers.

The agreement recognizes the particular migratory pressure that some countries are experiencing in search of safety and salvation, especially Italy.. The goal is to regain control of local politics,” said MEP Thomas Thobe, stressing that while solidarity is “flexible,” all member states “must participate.” member states, each of which has so far followed its own path.

Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, agrees there will be fewer cases where countries are forced to act in isolation. “The pact tries to solve the problem of a country facing mass arrivals,” he said.

According to MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, President of the European Parliamentary Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, “What is important is that we provide binding rules after a worrying situation. People asked where the European answer would be. ”

López Aguilar was responsible for managing crises and force majeure, which is one of the five axes of the pact and, in his opinion, strengthens solidarity. “We have provided ourselves with a strengthened mechanism of solidarity.” He emphasized that specific regions may require the introduction of anti-crisis regulation, as, for example, the Canary Islands could do. From now on, to face a problem in the Canary Islands, the answer will be European. “If we had not reached this agreement, it would have been a very strong blow to the European cause,” he added.

According to Renew group spokesperson Fabienne Keller, she stressed that she respects values ​​and is far from extremes, alluding to the European far right, which has put the issue of migration on the agenda of major European countries. Keller recalled that far-right parties often criticize, but do not offer solutions. “Those entering our territory will receive legal assistance at the stage of applying for asylum, and procedures will be carried out efficiently and strictly,” Keller said, stressing that the application of these rules will be monitored.

Two days and two nights of negotiations

“The Council and Parliament have made great progress on reform to improve the EU migration and asylum system. A political agreement has been reached on the five files of the new EU pact on migration and asylum,” said the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. on his official account on X. It took two days and nights of intense negotiations to clear the final hurdles of the complex legislative package proposed by the European Commission in 2020.

“This is a historic moment,” Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson emphasized in a video published on her account after a “long journey,” and that “Europe is finally getting a handle on migration.”

The migration package aims to provide the Twenty-Seven with a predictable mechanism to respond to the needs that have existed since migrants arrived, including border security, the reception of refugees and the return of those who do not have the right to remain in the Union.

The idea of ​​reforming European migration policy began to take shape in 2016, when almost two million illegal migrants and asylum seekers arrived in the EU fleeing the war in Syria. More than a million people have been accepted into Germany thanks to policies implemented by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The reform proposed by the Community Executive, chaired by Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker, has not received the necessary support from member states due to disagreements over how to fairly apply the principle of solidarity and distribute responsibilities in the asylum field.

In September 2020, the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, attempted to revive reform by introducing a new pact on migration and asylum, which proposed a comprehensive approach to strengthening and integrating policies on migration, asylum and border management.

Mandatory quotas for refugees were abolished after the failure of the previous Commission and opted for “a la carte” solidarity, which would allow twenty-seven states to voluntarily accept refugees or otherwise participate in the effort, for example by funding the construction of reception centers.

The left and greens in the European Parliament are very critical. The Greens said the pact was “unsustainable and perpetuates practices that undermine human rights.” Belgian MEP Philippe Lambert, co-chair of the Green group, said it consolidates “outdated ideas on how to solve the problem of migration and does not take into account the reality of the EU’s borders, both on land and at sea.”

Many NGOs have already criticized the fundamental provisions of the Pact because they foresee it will not work in the event of mass arrivals, and because they believe Europe is sacrificing its values ​​by strengthening borders instead of establishing safe routes.