EU’s migration pact takes effect, introducing mandatory border screening and fast-track asylum procedures

A decade in the making

The pact traces its origins to the 2015–2016 migration crisis, when thousands drowned in the Mediterranean and frontline states such as Greece and Italy struggled to process asylum claims alone. After several failed reform attempts, the European Commission tabled a package of ten regulations and a directive in 2020. Co-legislators reached a political deal in December 2023, the European Parliament voted in spring 2024, and the texts entered into force in June 2024. A two-year transition period gave member states time to prepare; most provisions now take effect on 12 June 2026.

“This pact is strict but fair.”

Screening and data collection at the border

Every person arriving at the EU’s external borders, including those rescued at sea, will undergo a mandatory screening that can last up to seven days. Fingerprints, facial images and identity documents will be stored in the upgraded Eurodac database, though the system is not yet fully operational. The minimum age for fingerprinting drops from 14 to six years. Authorities may use force if a person refuses, and detention during the screening process is expected to become more frequent, according to NGOs and union representatives.

“No member state is ready on all points.”

Accelerated border procedures

Asylum seekers from countries whose average international protection rate is below 20 percent will be channelled into a fast-track procedure at the border, before they formally enter the territory. The list includes nationals of Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Venezuela, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Tunisia and Bangladesh. In Belgium, the commissioner general for refugees estimates that roughly 40 percent of current cases would fall under this category. The accelerated procedure must be completed within 12 weeks; rejected applicants face return within a further 12 weeks. For Syrians and Afghans, whose protection rates stay far above the 20 percent threshold, the ordinary asylum procedure continues.

Solidarity mechanism and relocation

To relieve frontline states, the pact establishes a permanent, mandatory solidarity scheme. By the end of 2026, 21,000 asylum seekers are to be relocated from Italy, Greece, Spain and other entry countries across the 27 member states. Countries that refuse to take in any of those people must pay €20,000 per person into a solidarity fund. The obligation is designed to be predictable and enforceable, though previous EU relocation pledges have often fallen short.

Implementation gaps and criticism

Several countries are not fully prepared. The French refugee office Ofpra warns of legal uncertainty around the new border procedure: detained applicants may lose access to lawyers and interpreters, and even accommodation in reception centres will come with an obligation to stay, which CGT union representatives describe as a deprivation of liberty. NGOs fear that most migrants, including children, will be held in detention during the entire screening phase. Meanwhile, a separate reform of return rules, which includes the controversial concept of "return hubs," has only reached a provisional deal and does not take effect on 12 June.