EU approved new migration reform
On May 14th, the European Union member states approved large-scale reforms of the asylum system amid the pre-election campaign of Europe-wide elections, during which migration is expected to become one of the most important issues, The Associated Press reports
The EU Council has finally approved ten legislative parts from the Migration and Asylum Pact. It lays out rules for the 27 member countries to handle people trying to enter without authorisation, from how to screen them to establish whether they qualify for protection to deporting them if they’re not allowed to stay.
“Mainstream political parties believe the pact resolves the issues that have divided member nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015. They hope the system will starve the far right of vote-winning oxygen in the June 6th-9th elections,” the publication reads.
However, according to the news agency, the extensive reform package will not enter into force until 2026 and will not immediately solve the problem that has caused one of the largest political crises in the EU, ‘dividing nations over who should take responsibility for migrants when they arrive and whether other countries should be obliged to help’.
Critics claim that this document will enable EU members to detain migrants at borders and fingerprint children. They say this is aimed at preventing people from entering the country and infringing on their right to claim asylum.
