The EU Migration Pact came into force today, two years after it was adopted by member states and the European Parliament.
The pact overhauling existing EU rules is intended to bring about what officials describe as a more efficient and streamlined system, marking a departure from years of toxic politics around the issue, reports RTE.
However, it has drawn criticism from both the far-right, who say it does not go far enough, and from refugee organisations, who argue its legal safeguards for those seeking protection are insufficient.
The Migration Pact follows years of difficult negotiations over how to manage the asylum system at EU level, reports RTE.
The migration crisis of 2015, when over a million people sought protection in Europe from the Syrian civil war and other regional conflicts, put the existing legal framework under enormous strain and is widely seen as having contributed to the rise of far-right parties in the most affected member states.
An attempted overhaul stalled in 2018, but two years later a newly formed European Commission launched a more ambitious effort, eager to demonstrate that the EU could get to grips with the contentious migration issue, reports RTE.
In essence, the pact is designed to deliver more efficient and faster procedures at the EU’s external borders, more robust and swifter asylum and return processes, a compulsory solidarity mechanism between member states to share responsibility for managing asylum seekers, and enhanced cooperation with third countries to address root causes, tackle smuggling networks and provide legal pathways for migration.
But there are many critics, and member states have had two years to implement the ten pieces of legislation that make up the pact — a period that expires today, reports RTE.
The International Protection Act, the Irish legislation required for the pact to take effect, also comes into force today.
Welcoming its implementation, Minister for Justice and Migration Jim O’Callaghan described it as an important milestone, reports RTE.
“I have been very clear since taking office that Ireland must have a rules-based immigration system. Today, the commencement of the International Protection Act 2026 marks an important milestone in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the asylum process, and further building public confidence in the system.
“This historic reform recognises that migration is a challenge not just at a national level but at a European level.
“Agreeing migration and asylum policy at an EU level means coordinated actions including sharing of information, reducing the number of people applying for protection in numerous EU countries and reviving the return of applicants to the first country they applied in,” reports RTE.
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