The European Parliament has voted to approve the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, a major overhaul of the bloc's immigration rules. The vote, held on March 25, 2026, finalizes a political agreement reached in late 2025.
The comprehensive pact establishes a common system for managing migration, including mandatory solidarity among member states. This can involve relocating asylum seekers, providing financial contributions, or offering operational support. A key provision is a new border procedure intended to accelerate the processing of asylum claims from nationals of countries with low recognition rates.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have expressed deep concern. They warn that the pact's focus on expedited procedures and increased detention at borders risks undermining the right to asylum and could lead to systematic rights violations.
The regulations are now formally adopted. Member states have two years to transpose the rules into national law, with the new system expected to be fully operational by mid-2028.
