Communication on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum

Author (Corporate)
Series Details COM (2020) 609
Publication Date 23/09/2020
Content Type

Summary:

Communication published by the European Commission on 23 September 2020, setting out a fresh strategy for the European Union (EU) to address challenges relating to migration and asylum.

Further information:

The 2015 migration crisis revealed a number of shortcomings in the framework used by the European Union to manage a situation which affected different Member States in different ways. Since then, while some Member States face the challenge of external border management, others cope with large-scale arrivals by land or sea, or overpopulated reception centres, and other face high numbers of unauthorised movements of migrants.

The need for a new, durable European framework became visible. A revision of such framework became essential to manage the interdependence between Member States' policies and decisions and to offer a proper response to the opportunities and challenges in normal times, in situation of pressure and in crisis situations. The New Pact recognises that no Member States should shoulder a disproportionate responsibility and that all Member States should contribute to solidarity on a constant basis.

It provides a comprehensive approach, bringing together policy in the areas of migration, asylum, integration and border management. It recognises that the overall effectiveness depends on progress on all fronts. It aims to create faster, seamless migration processes and stronger governance of migration and border policies, supported by modern IT systems and more effective agencies. It aims to reduce unsafe and irregular routes and promote sustainable and safe legal pathways for those in need of protection. It reflects the reality that most migrants come to the EU through legal channels, which should be better matched to EU labour market needs. It is hoped it fosters trust in EU policies by closing the existing implementation gap. This common response also needs to include the EU's relationship with third countries.

The New Pact on Migration and Asylum was put forward alongside a package of legislative initiatives. This Communication also includes a roadmap to implement the strategy. This Pact was among the initiatives announced by the President of the European Commission in her Political Guidelines.

Source Link Link to Main Source https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2020:609:FIN
Alternative sources
  • https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/1_en_act_part1_v7_1.pdf
Related Links
Official
European Commission: New Pact on Migration and Asylum - A fresh start on migration in Europe https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/new-pact-migration-and-asylum_en
UN IOM: EU Regional Office: Publications, August 2020: IOM Views on the Roadmap for the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum https://eea.iom.int/publications/iom-views-roadmap-eu-new-pact-migration-and-asylum
UNHCR: Press Release, 22/09/2020: UNHCR and IOM call for a truly common and principled approach to European migration and asylum policies https://www.unhcr.org/uk/news/press/2020/9/5f69deff4/unhcr-iom-call-truly-common-principled-approach-european-migration-asylum.html
European Commission: Press Release, 23/09/2020: A fresh start on migration: Building confidence and striking a new balance between responsibility and solidarity https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1706
European Commission: Q&A, 23/09/2020: New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Questions and Answers https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_1707
European Commission: Q&A, 23/09/2020: New Pact on Migration and Asylum - Building on the progress made since 2016: Questions and Answers https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_1723
European Commission: Press statement by President von der Leyen on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (23 September 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_20_1727
European Commission: Speech by Vice-President Schinas on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (23 September 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_1736
European Commission: Speech by Commissioner Johansson on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (23 September 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_1733
UNICEF: Press Release, 23/09/2020: Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on the European Commission’s proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-henrietta-fore-european-commissions-proposed
S&D Group: Newsroom, 13/11/2020: S&Ds demand new Migration Pact based on solidarity and debate based on the facts https://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/sds-demand-new-migration-pact-based-solidarity-and-debate-based-facts
EPP: Papers, 07/12/2020: A window of opportunity: the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum https://www.epp.eu/papers/a-window-of-opportunity-the-new-eu-pact-on-migration-and-asylum
Polish Government: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum - a common position of V4 countries, Estonia and Slovenia (18 December 2020) https://www.gov.pl/web/V4presidency/the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum---a-common-position-of-v4-countries-estonia-and-slovenia
Portuguese Council Presidency: News, 13/03/2021: Pact on Migration and Asylum: Presidency committed to bringing Member States even closer together https://www.2021portugal.eu/en/news/pact-on-migration-and-asylum-presidency-committed-to-bringing-member-states-even-closer-together/

News
Euronews, 23/09/2020: EU migration pact: New policy aims to increase member state contributions https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/23/watch-live-eu-announces-new-policy-aimed-to-streamline-asylum-process
The Guardian, 23/09/2020: EU’s migration proposals draw anger on left and leave questions unanswered https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/23/eu-migration-proposals-anger-on-left-leave-questions-unanswered
Deutsche Welle, 23/09/2020: EU plans tougher controls in migration policy overhaul https://p.dw.com/p/3isP3
Kathimerini, 23/09/2020: Commission presents new migration plan for EU https://www.ekathimerini.com/257292/article/ekathimerini/news/commission-presents-new-migration-plan-for-eu
RTÉ News, 23/09/2020: EU Commission to overhaul migration policy https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0923/1166868-eu-migration-policy/
Reuters, 23/09/2020: EU must rise to challenge on migration, EU Commission chief says https://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKKCN26E1QH
Politico, 23/09/2020: Von der Leyen seeks to bridge chasm on migration https://www.politico.eu/article/european-commission-ursula-von-der-leyen-proposal-common-eu-migration-policy/
BBC News, 24/09/2020: Europe migration: EU plans mandatory pact to 'rebuild trust' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-54249312
Politico, 24/09/2020: No breakthrough on migration, Central European leaders say https://www.politico.eu/article/no-eu-migration-breakthrough-central-europe-leaders-say/
Reuters, 20/03/2021: Europe's south calls for more solidarity in new EU migration pact https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BC0JY
The Guardian, 21/03/2021: EU's southern states step up calls for 'solidarity' in managing mass migration https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/21/eus-southern-states-step-up-calls-for-solidarity-in-managing-mass-migration
EUObserver, 22/03/2021: Deadlock looms on EU's new asylum pact https://euobserver.com/migration/151299
EurActiv, 12/05/2021: Commissioner acknowledges ‘slow progress’ on migration pact https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-council-presidency/news/commissioner-acknowledges-slow-progress-on-migration-pact/

Commentary and Analysis
Heinrich Böll Foundation: Dossier: The New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum https://eu.boell.org/en/new-eu-pact-migration-and-asylum
IAI: Commentary (No. 20/64), 22/09/2020: The European Commission's Mission to Reform EU Migration Policy: Will Member States Play Ball? https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/european-commissions-mission-reform-eu-migration-policy-will-member-states-play-ball
Statewatch, 23/09/2020: EU: The new "pact" on migration and asylum - documentation, context and reactions https://www.statewatch.org/news/2020/september/eu-the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum-documentation-context-and-reactions/
EUObserver, 23/09/2020: Time to fix Europe's broken migration and asylum system https://euobserver.com/stakeholders/149504
Amnesty International: Press Release, 23/09/2020: EU: Migration Pact is not a fresh start but a false start https://www.amnesty.eu/news/eu-migration-pact-is-not-a-fresh-start-but-a-false-start/
Politico, 23/09/2020: 5 things to know about Brussels’ new migration plan https://www.politico.eu/article/5-things-to-know-about-brussels-new-migration-plan/
Euronews, 24/09/2020: What is the EU's new migration pact and how has it been received? https://www.euronews.com/2020/09/24/what-is-the-eu-s-new-migration-pact-and-how-has-it-been-received
Deutsche Welle, 24/09/2020: Opinion: EU migration pact is victory for the nationalists https://p.dw.com/p/3iv04
EurActiv, 24/09/2020: Member states to clash over the EU’s new migration pact https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/member-states-to-clash-over-the-eus-new-migration-pact/
IPS Journal, 25/09/2020: New pact, old problems https://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/european-union/new-pact-old-problems-4667/
Euro|topics, September 2020: New EU asylum pact: the right response to Moria? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/248253/
EUObserver, 28/09/2020: Between the lines, Europe's new Moria unfolds https://euobserver.com/migration/149551
Oxford University: Faculty of Law: Border Criminologies Blog, 30/09/2020: New Pact on Migration: An Exacerbation of Past Failures in Shiny New Packaging https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/research-subject-groups/centre-criminology/centreborder-criminologies/blog/2020/09/new-pact
German Institute for International and Security Affairs: SWP Comment (No 46), October 2020: The New EU Migration and Asylum Package: Breakthrough or Admission of Defeat? https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2020C46/
Chatham House: Expert Comment, 26/10/2020: Why the EU’s Migration and Asylum Plan is Flawed https://www.chathamhouse.org/2020/10/why-eus-migration-and-asylum-plan-flawed
Statewatch, 06/11/2020: EU: Tracking the Pact: Presidency placing heavy emphasis on externalisation, deportations, border controls https://www.statewatch.org/news/2020/november/eu-tracking-the-pact-presidency-placing-heavy-emphasis-on-externalisation-deportations-border-controls/
Robert Schuman Foundation: European Issues No 577, 16/11/2020: Understanding the new pact on migration and asylum https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/european-issues/0577-understanding-the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum
GMFUS: Blog, 24/11/2020: The EU’s Unbalanced New Pact on Migration and Asylum https://www.gmfus.org/news/eus-unbalanced-new-pact-migration-and-asylum
EU Law Analysis, 30/11/2020: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Turning European Union Territory into a non-Territory http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum.html
Caritas Europe: Position Paper, 09/12/2020: Analysis of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum https://www.caritas.eu/position-paper-on-eu-pact-on-migration-and-asylum/
IAI: Commentary, 10/12/2020: The EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum: A Tsunami of Papers but Little Waves of Change https://www.iai.it/en/pubblicazioni/eus-pact-migration-and-asylum-tsunami-papers-little-waves-change
EU Migration Law Blog, 15/12/2020: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum: What it is not and what it could have been https://eumigrationlawblog.eu/the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum-what-it-is-not-and-what-it-could-have-been/
University of London: SAS Refugee Law Initiative: Blog, 05/01/2021: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Human Rights challenges to border procedures https://rli.blogs.sas.ac.uk/2021/01/05/the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum-human-rights-challenges-to-border-procedures/
LSE: EUROPP Blog, 06/01/2021: The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum will do little to ease the pressure on southern member states https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2021/01/06/the-eus-pact-on-migration-and-asylum-will-do-little-to-ease-the-pressure-on-southern-member-states/
ETUC: ETUC Statement on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (adopted on 9 February 2021) https://www.etuc.org/en/document/etuc-statement-new-pact-migration-and-asylum
EPRS: Policy Podcast, 12/05/2021: The external dimension of the new pact on migration and asylum: A focus on prevention and readmission https://epthinktank.eu/2021/05/12/the-external-dimension-of-the-new-pact-on-migration-and-asylum-a-focus-on-prevention-and-readmission-policy-podcast/
European Papers: European Forum, 18/05/2021: The New Pact on Migration and Asylum: Supporting or Constraining Rights of Vulnerable Groups? https://www.europeanpapers.eu/en/europeanforum/new-pact-migration-asylum-supporting-or-constraining-rights-vulnerable-groups
Social Europe, 10/06/2021: EU migration and asylum pact abandons compassion and human rights https://socialeurope.eu/eu-migration-and-asylum-pact-abandons-compassion-and-human-rights
Heinrich Böll Foundation: Analysis, 16/06/2021: Old wine in new bottles? Monitoring the debate on the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum https://eu.boell.org/en/2021/06/16/old-wine-new-bottles-monitoring-debate-new-eu-pact-migration-and-asylum
EPRS: Study, August 2021: The European Commission’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Horizontal substitute impact assessment https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_STU(2021)694210

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