The Council of the European Union has officially ratified the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Hungary and Poland voted against the adoption of the Pact, while the Czech Republic and Slovakia abstained. Denmark and Ireland did not vote. 

The newly adopted Pact on Migration and Asylum introduces stricter regulations on applicant screening, health and security checks, and expedited examination procedures. It also mandates the provision of free counseling services to asylum seekers.

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A notable innovation of the pact is the introduction of a system of „mandatory solidarity,” which presents member states with three options for managing asylum seekers. Governments can opt to relocate a certain number of individuals, financially contribute €20,000 for each rejected applicant, or provide operational support to address migration-related challenges.

However, the journey towards adopting the pact has not been without its hurdles. The concept was first proposed in response to the migration crisis of 2015-2016, which saw a significant influx of migrants into the EU. Since then, migration has remained a pressing issue for EU nations.

Hungary and Poland have been the most vocal critics of the pact, voting against the proposed reforms. Polish PM Donald Tusk even did a u-turn on the matter in the last weeks. The former President of the European Council insisted that Poland should not be left „vulnerable in the face of Putin and Lukashenko” due to the EU migration agreement. 

He further argued that appeals to safeguard migrants’ rights were futile against hostile countries’ efforts to exploit them. The migrant pact, he told Germany’s Die Welt, is „not a satisfactory response to the challenges we face in Poland,” when asked if he advocated for renegotiation.

Image: X (@visegrad24)

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen