The European Parliament gave the "green light" to the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was put to a vote today (Wednesday 10.4.2024) in the European Parliament.
Despite the reactions, MEPs finally voted in favor of all five legislative texts concerning asylum procedures, the management of migration crises and border protection. However, activists in the gallery began to shout, calling for a vote against the Pact. "The pact kills, vote no" shouted the activists throwing tricycles at the MEPs.
The European Parliament has voted in favor of the EU Migration Pact which reforms rules on international protection.
Seconds before the vote began, a number of protesters in the viewing gallery began urging politicians to vote no. @muirisoc
Read more: https://t.co/BpQnsXkuie pic.twitter.com/uzLVkZmDkM
— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) April 10, 2024
"We wrote history" said Metsola
Immediately after the approval of the five legislative texts, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metzola, emphasized that "we have made history". In a post on X, she noted that "we kept our word," adding that the pact was a "balance between solidarity and responsibility."
At the same time, the center-right celebrated the approval of the immigration pact. EPP MEP Thomas Tobe argued that the European Parliament has "successfully put an end to the political impasse that characterized immigration for many years. The implementation of the new Migration Pact will allow us to regain control of our external borders and reduce migration pressure in the EU."
History made.
We have delivered a robust legislative framework on how to deal with migration and asylum in the EU.
It has been more than ten years in the making. But we kept our word.
A balance between solidarity and responsibility.
This is the European way. pic.twitter.com/OW24Y8cv1k
- Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) April 10, 2024
"Historical step" says Olaf Solz
The German chancellor Olaf Scholz described the approval of the new Pact on Migration as a "historic step", in a post on X.
In contrast, the Greens criticize the legislation, saying that "with the new migration pact, the lack of solidarity towards asylum seekers and between member states will only worsen".
In the same statement, the Greens point out that "real solidarity is sharing responsibility fairly within the EU and international partners and standing up for our values and fighting for human rights".
New, common immigration policy
The Pact aspires to establish a new, common policy to manage the reception and resettlement of asylum seekers across the European bloc, seeks to provide a single response to the migration issue, after nearly 10 years of crises and individual responses by member states to problem.
In the new Migration Pact, the establishment of mandatory solidarity is considered crucial, on the basis of which all the member states of the European Union should contribute to the management of migration, either financially, or by hosting migrants, or by providing operational support.
The text of the Pact, after many discussions and confrontations, includes five laws, which according to the legislators, seek "to reform the current rules with an emphasis on cooperation, but also on mandatory but flexible solidarity". Several MEPs believe the pact will provide relief to countries such as Greece and Italy, which have borne the brunt of migrant flows coming from the Mediterranean sea routes.
The goals of the new Pact sound ambitious. However, the arrangements it establishes meet with reactions, with the right-wing considering it left-wing and the left-wing right-wing. The pact was supported by the three major European political groups (EPP, Socialists and Liberals)/ On the other hand, the pragmatists argue that the text is the best possible that can exist at the present time, especially at a time when the extreme right is expected to come out strengthened in the European elections in June.
Margaritis Schoinas spoke of a "delicate, balanced result".
The Greek vice-president of the Commission, Margaritis Schinas, in his speech to the European Parliament, emphasized that the package of measures included in the pact is a "delicate, balanced result".
"We are ready to open the door to a new home, based on respect for fundamental rights, dignity and the values we represent. Not in a fortress Europe, but in a well-guarded house with more secure external borders and clearer rules about who is allowed to enter. A home that will provide refuge to those fleeing persecution, war and violence, where asylum applications will be processed properly and fairly," he underlined, noting that the new rules will ensure that "those who do not have a legal right to be under our protection they should be returned to their countries of origin with speed and dignity."
What does the new Pact provide?
The new Pact on Migration and Asylum contains provisions concerning all stages of the issue, from the screening of irregular immigrants and the collection of biometric data, to the procedures for processing asylum applications by the member states.
It also has provisions for cooperation and solidarity between member states as well as how to manage crises. In any case, drafters of the Pact made it clear that the five laws are in fact unified. If the European Parliament rejected even one, the entire Pact would collapse.
The new Pact is considered by many to be one of the biggest political files of the current term. However, the rapporteurs of the Eurogroups admit that there are divisions both between and within parties, as a result of which they consider that predicting the outcome of the vote is impossible.
Who disagrees with the New Covenant?
Their opposition to the New Pact has been expressed by well-known cases, such as the legislators of Viktor Orbán's Hungarian party Fidesz, as well as the far-right group Identity and Democracy (ID) which includes the League of Italy, the National Alarm of France and the German Alternative for Germany (AfD).
At the same time, reactions also exist within the dominant Eurogroups, with the most powerful block being that of the 16 Italian MEPs of the Socialists and Democrats.
"No" to the new Pact also from Italy's populist Five Star Movement, which considers it useless for its country but also harmful to the rights of immigrants, while the MEPs of the party of Georgia Meloni "Brothers of Italy", which cohabits with the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR), dominated by the Polish delegation of Law and Justice which opposes the changes, had announced that they would "examine each file separately".
Opposition was also expressed by the 72 Green MEPs and 37 of the Left, speaking of strict provisions that would degrade the asylum process and allow violations of fundamental rights.
Source: protothema.gr