EU Pact on Migration and Asylum to become applicable in June

The EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum will improve the control of the EU’s external borders and increase the efficiency of asylum and return procedures. The Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the relevant bills for acts on Tuesday 9 June. The acts will enter into force on 12 June.

The EU is looking for common solutions for migration and asylum policy to curb migration to Europe. The Pact will strengthen external border control and improve the procedures for the identification, asylum and return of third-country nationals. 

The purpose of the Pact is to ensure an efficient, fair and uniform asylum system throughout the EU. The same procedures will minimise weak links, which people smugglers in particular are trying to exploit.

The Pact consists of ten legislative acts that allow for some discretion in national law. The national implementation of the Pact and the related preparations are being supported with EU Home Affairs Funds.  

The Common European Asylum System has been gradually constructed over a long period, and the Member States’ practices are already largely based on EU legislation. The Council of the European Union adopted the Pact in May 2024. The legislative acts laid down in the Pact will become applicable in the EU in June 2026.

Unfounded applications and crime are prevented through border and screening procedures

Thanks to the mandatory border procedure, asylum applications that are considered unfounded can already be processed at the border. This will also hinder the operation of criminal organisations.

The screening procedure will seek to verify the identity of persons seeking to enter the EU, assess any risks they may pose and refer them effectively to the relevant procedure: asylum or return to their country of origin. The procedure will apply to third-country nationals who have, for example, crossed the external border without authorisation or who have been staying in Finland illegally. 

Asylum process can be transferred outside the EU

The Pact provides a legal framework for transferring the asylum process to a safe country outside the EU. Transfer to a third country will be possible if the applicant has travelled to the EU via the country in question or if an agreement on the transfer of the asylum process has been made with that country. 

Safe countries of origin can be defined at both EU and national level

To streamline the processing of applications, the EU has prepared a common list of safe countries of origin. The list will be applied on 12 June. Member States may also draw up their own lists. National solutions could be necessary in cases where Finland’s applicant profile differs from the overall situation in the EU, for example.

Stricter restrictions on reception services

In principle, reception services will be provided to third-country nationals and stateless persons only when they apply for asylum for the first time or receive temporary protection. Reception services will also be provided for a shorter period than at present. On a case-by-case basis, the basic component of reception allowance may be reduced and, in certain situations, reception services may also be withdrawn, in which case the person’s livelihood will be ensured by commodities.

An asylum seeker’s stay may also be restricted to a particular geographical area. Furthermore, an asylum seeker’s freedom of movement may be restricted on grounds of public order or procedural considerations if there is a risk of absconding. 

In future, beneficiaries of temporary protection will have to identify themselves at reception centres once a month, while asylum seekers will have to do so 2–4 times per month.

Inquiries:

Sanna Montin, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Legal Affairs, tel. +358 295 488 314
Tiina Järvinen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 625 (reception services)
Email addresses of the Government are in the format [email protected].