On Wednesday, April 10, the European Parliament voted in favor of a significant migration agreement, bringing it one step closer to approval as Europe’s political center works to counter the growing influence of far-right ideologies before crucial elections.

This comprehensive package aims to revamp the European Union’s strategy regarding migration and asylum. Its objectives include reducing the number of migrants undertaking the journey, expediting the screening process for asylum seekers, hastening the deportation of unsuccessful claimants, and distributing the responsibilities of processing and resettlement more equitably, at least in principle. Final approval could be granted within a few weeks.

Since over a million people sought refuge in Europe during 2015-2016, the European Union has grappled with devising a unified and effective approach to managing migration and asylum. Wide disparities have existed between those advocating for open doors and those advocating for closed borders. In recent times, anti-migrant sentiments have surged throughout the continent, fueling the rise of far-right factions that have propelled this issue into the forefront of political discourse and bridged the ideological divide.

Similar to the United States' debates on border control leading up to the presidential election in November, migration has dominated discussions in Europe ahead of the E.U. elections in June. With far-right candidates gaining popularity in polls, E.U. negotiators were under immense pressure to finalize an agreement, and they succeeded.

The legislative package, known as the migration and asylum pact, underwent three years of negotiations and is being hailed as a significant breakthrough by Brussels.

Margaritis Schinas, a European Commission vice president overseeing migration policy, expressed satisfaction, stating, “After nearly a decade of obstacles... it is accomplished. Europe will handle migration in an organized manner and on our own terms.”

Despite these optimistic views, the agreement has faced vehement criticism from human rights organizations, which view it as a setback for human rights, and from experts who doubt its efficacy in reducing migrant arrivals.

During Wednesday's vote, protesters briefly disrupted proceedings, chanting, "This pact is deadly. Vote against it!" This interruption prompted the Parliament’s president to call for calm.

The plan aims to address a long-standing issue within the E.U. where certain countries shoulder more responsibility than others. Front-line countries like Greece, Spain, and Italy are tasked with establishing detention centers, expediting claims processing, and swiftly deporting unsuccessful claimants. Conversely, other countries are required to resettle more individuals or offer financial assistance, known as a “solidarity mechanism.”

While the pact has been meticulously reviewed for years, key operational details remain unclear. Questions persist about how the screening process will be streamlined without compromising individuals' right to seek asylum and how the new regulations will enhance the deportation of unsuccessful claimants.

Human rights groups and refugee advocates have raised concerns about the changes, particularly rules mandating biometric data from children as young as six.

Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European institutions office, criticized the agreement, stating, “This agreement will regress European asylum law for decades to come. It is likely to result in increased suffering at every stage of a person’s asylum-seeking journey in the E.U.”

This agreement emerges as several E.U. countries, notably France and Germany, adopt stricter stances on immigration and migration.

In December, concurrent with the E.U. migration and asylum agreement, the French Parliament passed legislation imposing stringent rules on immigrants, making it harder for them to access benefits or for their children to acquire French citizenship. This legislation aimed to counter the rise of Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Rally party.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has also pledged a tougher stance, given the rising support for the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The new rules must still gain approval from member states, although experts anticipate swift approval since political consensus has already been achieved. Subsequently, countries will need to devise strategies for implementing these measures effectively.

Valérie Hayer, chair of the centrist Renew Europe political group, emphasized the importance of implementation, stating, “Now, it is all about the implementation. Ultimately, the success of the reform hinges on how Member States put it into practice.”

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