EU migration and asylum system

The new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum will help the EU improve the control of its external borders and increase the efficiency of asylum and return procedures. At the same time, the rights of asylum seekers will be safeguarded. The Pact also puts in place a system of solidarity, in which no Member State is left alone under migratory pressure.

The Council of the European Union adopted the Pact on Migration and Asylum in May 2024. The Pact contains a total of 10 legislative acts.  The application of the acts started on 12 June 2026, when national legislation supplementing the EU acts also entered into force.

Creating a uniform asylum system 

The Pact will 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 Member States will also introduce a mandatory border procedure. In other words, asylum applications considered unfounded can be processed already at the border, which will increase the efficiency of examination and returns and prevent secondary movements of asylum seekers to other EU countries. This will also hinder the operation of criminal organisations.

Better management of entry into the country

The Eurodac system will be reformed into a migration management database. In addition to personal data, the database can provide information on a person’s stay in the EU and their possible departure. It will enhance control and help create a better situational picture. 

The Pact also includes new provisions on screening. The screening of third-country nationals will help establish and record information on the person’s entry into the country in order to refer the person to the right procedure. The aim is to better manage the entry of different categories of migrants and to strengthen the control and identification of third-country nationals crossing the external borders. 

Several ways to show solidarity

The new rules clarify which State is responsible for the examination of a particular asylum application. The process will be clarified and accelerated.

Efforts will be made to share responsibility for people arriving in the Union more evenly among the EU Member States. Solidarity is mandatory in situations of migratory pressure and crisis, but Member States can choose the form of support they provide. Solidarity measures may include relocations of asylum seekers between Member States, financial contributions or, for example, providing border guards or helping with the deployment of reception centres.

Years of preparation

The Common European Asylum System has been gradually constructed over a long period. However, the years of crisis in 2015 and 2016, in particular, revealed weaknesses in the system.

The EU migration and asylum policy aims to find sustainable solutions to the challenges created by migration. The new rules will help manage arrivals in an orderly way and create efficient and uniform procedures.