News
New European rules on asylum and migration are coming
Published at: 1/24/2024, 12:00 AM
Share on social media:
European Union (EU) countries agreed on new rules for asylum and migration in December 2023. This article explains what rules are involved. And what the implications are for you.
EU countries are working together to receive refugees from around the world. But EU European countries are not satisfied with how this cooperation is going now.
For example, the countries want stricter rules on which refugees can enter Europe through the external borders, such as through Greece or Italy.
The new European rules will not apply until 2026 at the earliest
The EU agreed on 23 December 2023 on how to improve cooperation. There are no actual new rules yet.
European countries are now going to consult with each other on exactly what rules are needed. If these consultations go well, the new rules will not be implemented until 2026. EU rules will not change until then.
Read below what the EU's main plans are for asylum and migration:
The EU wants faster decisions on people fleeing to the EU. This is called a 1st screening, and it takes up to 7 days.
During this screening, fingerprints and photographs will be taken and stored in an online database. In this way, the EU wants to make the process easier and prevent people from seeking asylum in multiple countries within the EU.
For people from safe countries, the EU wants a faster asylum procedure. This procedure should take a maximum of 9 months. This will allow people to be returned more quickly to their country of origin if this country is safe according to the EU. The EU is working together to make a list of countries they consider safe.
During this procedure, people can be temporarily detained in a kind of prison at Europe's external borders.
If it turns out that these refugees from safe countries are not entitled to asylum, they can be sent back to their countries of origin.
Currently, countries where people arrive have to take care of all the refugees. Italy and Greece, for example, take in many refugees. However, if this deal is approved, all countries must take care of receiving refugees. Or countries that take in fewer refugees will pay money to countries that take in many refugees.
The country in Europe where refugees arrive must still check whether a person is allowed to seek asylum in Europe.
The rules for the are getting stricter. It will be even harder for refugees to go to another country in Europe if they are already registered in the European country where they arrived.
The EU wants to better distribute refugees between different countries.
These plans have yet to be approved by the European legal system
Before these plans become rules, the European Parliament and EU member states must approve the plans. European elections will take place on 6 June 2024. The EU says these new rules on migration and asylum will be looked at before the elections.
So before the European elections, it will be known what plans will be put into European law.
Here are the possible consequences if the new rules are implemented
The new rules may make it harder to seek asylum in Europe starting in 2026. It also increases the likelihood that refugees from a safe country will be detained at the borders. And that asylum procedures in Europe will take even longer.
However, these consequences depend on how and when the new plans are implemented. And whether these plans are allowed to be implemented within the EU legal system.
What do you think of this article?
