European Migration Pact takes effect, introducing border screenings and faster procedures

The European Pact on Migration and Asylum, a result of a decade of negotiations concluded in May 2024, is set to largely take effect across the European Union on June 12. This comprehensive agreement includes a directive, which requires transposition into Belgian law, and ten regulations that are directly applicable nationwide. The Belgian Parliament is expected to adopt the law transposing the pact's core elements this Wednesday or Thursday.

The pact's origins trace back to 2015, when numerous conflicts in regions like Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Somalia prompted a significant influx of refugees. Countries such as Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Croatia bore the brunt of this migration. These frontline states often struggled with inadequate resources or expressed dissatisfaction, leading to inconsistent reception quality for asylum seekers, who were then pushed to move elsewhere in Europe despite the Dublin Regulation requiring asylum claims to be processed in the country of first entry.

Designed as a compromise, the European Pact formalizes asylum application procedures at the EU's external borders, primarily managed by frontline states. In return, it establishes a mandatory yet flexible solidarity principle among member states. Countries with fewer external borders can opt to either accept asylum seekers transferred from frontline states or provide financial or material assistance. Last year, Belgium, largely a country of secondary arrivals, chose financial compensation, though the form of aid can be reassessed annually.

The pact also seeks to harmonize asylum procedures across all member states and significantly reduce processing times for applications. A key promise within the agreement is to increase the rate of returns for individuals whose asylum claims are rejected. For Belgium, this translates into a standardized border asylum procedure for specific categories of applicants, marking a significant shift in how migration is managed.