The European Parliament has approved a major reform of the EU's migration and asylum rules, known as the EU Asylum and Migration Pact, after years of negotiations. The pact, designed to speed up asylum processes and boost the return of irregular migrants, will come into force in two years' time.
Under the new rules, EU member states will be required to share responsibility for asylum seekers, either by taking in migrants from frontline countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain, or by providing additional funding or resources. Asylum claims deemed to have low chances of acceptance will be examined rapidly, potentially without the applicant entering EU territory.
The pact also introduces a toughened pre-entry screening procedure within seven days, including identification and health and security checks. Biometric data will be collected for any migrant aged six or older. Asylum requests must be processed within a maximum of 12 weeks, and rejected applicants will be forcibly returned to their home countries within the same period.
While the pact has been backed by the centre-right European People's Party Group and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, some member states remain opposed. Hungary has vowed not to take any irregular migrants, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has rejected the mechanism of taking in asylum seekers or paying into an EU fund for frontline states.
Human rights groups have criticised the reform, with Amnesty International warning it would lead to a 'surge in suffering' for asylum seekers. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies expressed concern over the normalisation of detention and speedier border processes, which risk sending back people who should be granted asylum.
