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The European Union's new migration and asylum pact, which significantly tightens restrictions on migrants and refugees, went into effect on June 12 (local time).
The new pact was finalized after years of negotiations at the EU level. Following its approval in 2024, it has now been implemented across the EU after a two-year preparation period.
The EU has felt an urgent need for a collective response to migration and refugee issues as anti-refugee sentiment has risen across member states in the wake of the 2015–2016 crisis, when over one million refugees crossed the Mediterranean into Europe due to the Syrian civil war and other factors.
With far-right parties rapidly gaining influence across Europe by capitalizing on anti-migrant sentiment, the issue of how to handle refugees is expected to be a key point of contention in major European elections next year in countries including France, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Greece.
The new pact that took effect today centers on stricter border controls for illegal migrants, expedited asylum processing, and the strengthening of deportations for those deemed ineligible.
In particular, migrants with a low probability of being granted asylum will be subject to an expedited screening process lasting up to 12 weeks. During this period, they may be required to stay in special detention facilities set up by "gateway" countries at the EU's external borders, such as Italy and Greece.
According to the dpa news agency, the primary objective of these measures is to prevent "secondary movement," where migrants who arrive from outside the EU independently travel from their first country of arrival to other EU nations.
For instance, it aims to prevent an asylum seeker who arrives in Italy from arbitrarily moving to Western European countries like Germany.
The introduction of a "solidarity mechanism" to alleviate the burden on Mediterranean frontline states—such as Italy, Greece, Malta, and Spain, where the majority of refugees entering the EU first arrive—is another notable feature of the pact that took effect today.
Under this system, EU member states are required to either take in a share of asylum seekers arriving in "gateway" countries, pay 20,000 euros (approximately 35 million won) per person, or provide operational support in the form of personnel and equipment.
The EU aims to use this system to distribute at least 30,000 asylum seekers evenly across member states annually.
Magnus Brunner, the EU Commissioner for Migration, stated, "For the first time, we have a comprehensive migration and asylum system that covers the entire EU," predicting that the implementation of this reform will grant member states greater control over border management.
However, Reuters noted that it remains uncertain whether the new pact will be implemented quickly, as the level of preparedness varies significantly among the 27 EU member states.
Furthermore, critics point out that due to the pact's lack of mandatory enforcement, it may only fuel conflict among member states regarding the distribution of refugees rather than leading to practical results.
Human rights organizations have also expressed concerns that the new pact could limit access to asylum for vulnerable refugees and weaken the protections afforded to them.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.