The Pact on Migration and Asylum (the “Pact”) was adopted in June 2024 by the European Union. The adoption of regulations, directly applicable, instead of directives, for most of the nine legislatives files, aims to limit discrepancies across national policies which ought to be addressed to prevent further polarisation between countries at the centre and those at the periphery. Such polarisation has, for years, played against the interests of member States, their populations, and the rights of migrants and refugees.
The Pact will impact EU and non-EU member States. It sets ambitious targets including uncompromising human rights safeguards to be respected including in border areas. It also establishes a solidarity mechanism so that EU member States can support each other in challenging times including when unexpected numbers of migrants and refugees are having their cases examined in line with international human rights law. EU member States are expected to be ready to enact the Pact by June 2026. Its success will significantly rely on their capacity to allocate sufficient human, financial and material resources to meet the required obligations.
In this endeavour, it is essential that States are accompanied and supported lest political commitments might remain pious vows. The situation of frontline States remains critical requiring durable and effective responses to the political, security and humane challenges which the dignified reception and management of migrants and refugees involve.
The Parliamentary Assembly should look into how the Council of Europe’s instruments, through existing standards, monitoring and co-operation tools, may usefully accompany such efforts, taking concrete examples among frontline States facing the above-mentioned challenges.