LAST UPDATE | 10 Apr 2024

Muiris O'Cearbhaill Reports from Brussels

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT has voted to adopt the Migration and Asylum Pact which is said to overhaul and reform the rules and regulations on seeking international protection in the European Union.

The package of ten laws, which have been under negotiations for years, aim to get EU countries to act together on migration.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil MEPs voted in favour of all ten texts, while Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus and Green MEP Grace O’Sullivan and the group of independents voted in favour of just a few out of the package.

Seconds before the vote began, a number of protesters in the viewing gallery disrupted the Parliament. Voting was suspended for a short period of time.

The demonstrators threw paper airplanes into the chamber of the parliament and held a sign demanding the MEPs reject the texts. The group chanted: “This pact kills. Vote no.” 

Voting continued as the protestors were led out of the gallery, where the majority of MEPs voted in favour of every text.

It contains five main proposals, which were:

• To create uniform rules around the identification of people who arrive in Europe from outside the EU to claim asylum;
• To develop a common database about new arrivals to Europe, which can paint a more accurate picture of migration trends;
• To speed up decisions on claims made by asylum seekers who enter Europe;
• To establish a ‘solidarity mechanism’ so that all countries share responsibility for asylum applications, rather than those that are at the edge of Europe;
• To ensure that the EU is prepared for future crises, including the weaponisation of migration.

Commenting on the result today, Justice Minister Helen McEntee she was “committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected”.

“That is why today’s approval of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact by the European Parliament is very welcome. The agreement marks a historic step, which provides a robust legislative framework to address migration and asylum across the EU.

 ”It is a shared European solution to a shared European challenge. When implemented, it will ensure European asylum systems are cohesive, fair, and efficient.

The Pact’s enhanced screening and security measures will reduce irregular secondary movements of asylum seekers. This will be particularly impactful for Ireland, while the solidarity and responsibility provisions will assist member states most acutely affected by irregular migration.

 MEPs urged to vote in favour

Yesterday, the lead negotiators of the law, who developed the texts over three years, urged MEPs to vote in favour of the proposals but some of them acknowledged that the current version is not perfect.

Two negotiators, the Netherlands’ Sophie in ‘t Veld (EPP group) and Sweden’s Malin Bjork (The Left group), voiced concerns over measures to cut down so-called ‘secondary movements’ or proposals to send people seeking asylum to another country.

But the legislators insisted that it was time for the parliament to focus on implementing the laws and instead bring in reforms to the texts during the next term following the European elections in June.

Speaking ahead of the vote today in Brussels Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly told The Journal that he hoped the pact would pass as it gave the EU a “sense of solidarity” when it came to processing applications for asylum.

“We have cooperation and we have control. Until now, anything could happen and I think you will find that if it’s passed, it will bring stability to the situation, clarity and those who really deserve protection, get it- as opposed maybe to some who would otherwise be taking that place,” Kelly said.

Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus said he voted against the laws, as he and his party believe Ireland is “better off outside of [the Pact].” 

“We can create a fair, efficient and enforced immigration system without interference from Brussels,” MacManus said in a statement.

As of now, Government has signalled that they will be supporting the implementation of the Pact in full.

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The agreement was also welcomed by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola who posted on X that the Parliament “kept our word” and delivered the legislation after ten years of debate.

Speaking to reporters after the agreement, Metsola said: “There is of course still more to do, on returns, on our partner countries, we will keep up the work.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Migration is a European challenge which must be met with a European solution.

She told reporters: “The pact strikes the right balance between stricter rules against abuse of the system and protections for those most vulnerable.”

The package has yet to be formally approved by the Council of the EU – made up of the member states’ relevant ministers – but once it has been agreed, the laws will enter into force.

Member states will then have two years to create the relevant legislation domestically to accommodate and facilitate the regulations.

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This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.