Today, the European Commission is meeting to discuss a report on migration and asylum as part of the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum, as the EU gets started on an intense autumn of negotiations on its migration and asylum policy. While disparities among Member States’ asylum procedures and recognition rates persist, the EU faces an additional challenge with the expected increase in Afghan asylum seekers following the Taliban’s recent takeover in Afghanistan.

One year ago, in an attempt to break the deadlock on the EU’s migration policy, the European Commission presented the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Moreover, at their last summit, EU leaders emphasised the need to improve the management of Europe’s borders and to relieve the pressure from countries at the EU’s external borders. 

During its July plenary session, the European Parliament adopted two major EU funds to help countries manage migration flows, while the Council recently reached an agreement with the European Parliament on an EU asylum agency regulation aiming to give more power to the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) and strengthen asylum policy within the EU, as one of the key initiatives under the Pact. In this respect, during the September plenary session the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a response to a potential migration and refugee crisis from Afghanistan.

Key Texts

European Parliament: Migration: plenary to adopt two funds to support asylum and border policies

Council of the EU: Statement on the situation in Afghanistan

European Commission: Migration and Asylum Pact

Upcoming Dates

29 September: College Meeting

7 October: European Parliament’s Plenary Session

27-28 October: 6th European Migration Forum

European Movement International position

As outlined in our policy position on Migration and Europe: Protecting Fundamental Rights, migration remains a priority issue in the EU. The Union must ensure the prevalence of the humanitarian perspective and lead by example in defending fundamental rights, while being fully coherent with the overall direction of the EU’s foreign and security policy. In this context, the European Movement International welcomes developments towards a European Union Asylum Agency, as well as the setting of standards for a uniform status for refugees or persons eligible for subsidiary protection. This has to be done while enhancing the equal treatment of asylum seekers and ensuring coherent recognition rates among Member States.

As an essential part of the European Agenda on Migration, channels of legal migration should be fostered and promoted to prevent further humanitarian disasters and counter human trafficking. Integration is a key aspect which must be concretised in social inclusion policies, while national leaders and European institutions should take responsibility for the lives and wellbeing of refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Europe.