Commission achievements on EU migration and asylum over the last four years

On 12 March 2024, the Commission adopted a Communication assessing the progress made in the area of migration and asylum.  

Over the last four years, the Commission has made significant progress in its commitment to create a sustainable EU framework for the management of migration in an effective and humane way. It has put in place sustainable reforms with the Pact on Migration and Asylum, while also working on targeted operational actions to support Member States. 

The Pact on Migration and Asylum  

Four years after the Commission presented the Pact, the European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement, setting the stage for fair, efficient, and sustainable management of migration at EU level. The Pact introduces new rules, establishing a system of solidarity and shared responsibility between EU countries, efficient asylum procedures, streamlined border management, and the creation of safe and legal pathways to the EU. 

Following its formal adoption, the Pact will bring: 

• More secure borders, with mandatory border procedures that include thorough screenings and security assessments of those who are unlikely to need protection, present a security risk or mislead the authorities. 

• Fast and efficient procedures for asylum and return with stronger individual safeguards, stricter rules but also stronger guarantees for the rights of individuals, including free legal counselling and particular attention to vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied minors. 

• A fair and more effective system of solidarity and responsibility between EU Member States, introducing for the first time a system of shared responsibility at EU level with each country deciding how it participates.  

This new legal framework will only be as effective as its implementation. After the formal adoption of the proposals, the Commission will present a Common Implementation Plan by June 2024.

Targeted operational responses to immediate challenges  

While the formal adoption and implementation of the Pact are underway, the Commission has also proposed a series of operational measures that address immediate and ongoing challenges. These include: 

• Four EU Action Plans for collective operational action along the main migration routes, bringing concrete support to EU countries, decreasing irregular arrivals from the Western Balkans route, and stabilising the situation in the Central Mediterranean. 

• Stronger border management with new technologies, such as the upgraded European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR), the upgraded Visa Information System, and improved cooperation with neighbouring countries through the new cooperation frameworks with Bulgaria and Romania, among others. 

• Countering migrant smuggling, through renewed legislation updating a 20-year-old framework and strengthening Europol’s role in the fight against criminal networks of smugglers, responsible for over 90% of irregular arrivals. 

• Stepping up returns for those with no legal right to stay in the EU, with mutual recognition of return decisions and accelerated processes. 

• Responding to acute needs and crises, by combining support from EU agencies, EU funding and operational support, to rapidly address specific needs in EU countries. 

• Support from EU agencies, such as the EUAA, Frontex and Europol, whose operational presence and resources have increased. Strengthened cooperation with partner countries. 

Strengthened cooperation with partner countries

The Commission has consistently engaged with international partners to address the root causes of migration, fight migrant smuggling, and promote legal pathways. These partnerships include recent initiatives with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt, and focus on: 

• Legal migration, by providing safe and legal pathways to the EU, as well as attracting and retaining talent and skills through Talent Partnerships.  

• Improving readmission cooperation, with the use of new visa measures adapted to specific countries.  

More information 

Press Release 

Factsheet 

New Pact on Migration and Asylum 

Managing migration responsibly