EU Migration Pact Takes Effect, Prompting Protests in France

The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact became law on 12 June, introducing tougher border controls, a mandatory solidarity mechanism for the distribution of asylum seekers, and a harmonised, expedited asylum procedure across the 27 member states. A key feature is the "filtering" system that conducts identity, security and health checks on irregular third‑country arrivals within three to seven days, with applicants in France to be processed in existing waiting zones at airports and train stations (ZAPI).

Human‑rights organisations, including Amnesty International and the Cimade, warn that the measures could lead to longer detention periods and faster expulsions, likening the system to the controversial "hotspots" used during the 2015 migration crisis. They also criticize the French government's rushed implementation, noting that the first application decrees were only published on the Sunday before the Pact's start. A joint inter‑syndical and association demonstration is planned in Paris to protest the new rules, while the European Parliament is set to vote on complementary "return hubs" in third‑country locations on 17 June.