QCEA: First Green Light given to EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: What does this mean for people who seek protection in the EU?
On Tuesday 28 March, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted and agreed on four of the key files of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, first presented by the Commission in 2020 as a new EU common framework to respond and manage migration sustainably and in the long term.
Based on unofficial agreements seen by the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM), problematic aspects in the initial proposal remain. The European Parliament’s agreement would entail the continuation of the hotspot approach, resulting in increased detention at borders (including for children above 12), accelerated border procedures, and swift returns. The shorter timelines will likely reduce the rights guarantees and result in increased use of derogations: exceptions from regular legal timelines during crisis situations. In essence the parties have agreed to create a system based on the expanded use of detention and quicker deportations to third countries (countries of origin or other). We elaborate further on some of the key concerns: