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 Member States will now have two years to put the acts into practice.
A project set up by the Ministry of the Interior will prepare the necessary amendments to Finnish legislation. The government proposal or proposals will be submitted to Parliament at the latest at the beginning of 2026 so that the legislative amendments can enter into force in summer 2026.
The implementation of the acts also requires practical measures from all public authorities involved in Finland's asylum and return procedures.
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 examines and records matters related to the person’s entry 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, and the Member States’ practices are already largely based on EU legislation. 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.