The EU is rushing to implement what is expected to be the most significant overhaul of its immigration and asylum systems in decades, with the full entry into application of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum due on June 12, 2026. The reform, years in the making, promises to radically change how the block manages border security, asylum requests and the return of migrants – though it is by no means certain all member states will be prepared.
Adopted in May 2024, the Pact reformulates EU immigration and asylum policies, marking a turning point in European migration management, by establishing a common framework with increased border controls on the external border, equitable and firm asylum rules and an equilibrium between solidarity and responsibility amongst member states.
The most critical unresolved issue is likely to be Eurodac-the central biometric database underpinning most of the rest of the Pact. The new responsibility-sharing arrangement and the solidarity mechanism and the border procedures would not be able to work without it. By mid April 2026 just eleven Member States claimed that they were “fully on course to be connected to the new system by June”, while nine were not even in the business process testing stage yet. (Eureporter)
On the positive side, illegal border crossings at the EU’s external borders fell by 26 percent in 2025 compared to 2024, suggesting that the bloc’s tougher external posture is already having an effect. The Commission has made available three billion euros to support implementation of the Pact and to cater for temporary protection for Ukrainians.
However, human rights organizations have raised serious concerns. Over 200 organizations have already come out in opposition against the plans of the European Commission, with one NGO explaining: “While it has the opportunity and means to invest in safety, protection and inclusion, the EU is opting for practices which will push more people towards insecurity and a legal void.” (EPC)
The experts agree that if different member states are at different stages of readiness, then it’s inevitable that practices on the ground will be disparate and the pact will not achieve its intended uniformity. This situation over the next few weeks will be an indication of whether the EU’s most significant reform on migration in a generation will deliver what it set out to do.
