EU migration and asylum pact takes effect, reshaping asylum rules

On 12 June 2026 the European Union’s migration and asylum pact entered into force across all 27 member states, four years after its adoption. The agreement creates a common framework for external border controls, asylum procedures, reception conditions and a solidarity mechanism that aims to redistribute asylum seekers, setting a 2026 relocation target of 21 000 people.

The pact introduces accelerated procedures for applicants from countries with low European recognition rates, mandatory biometric registration via Eurodac and stricter return measures, including out‑of‑EU return centres, detention periods of up to two years and the removal of certain procedural safeguards. Over 250 civil‑society organisations have warned that the new rules could lead to “extraterritorial prisons” and the detention of children.

While the framework seeks to end the fragmented system that gives migrants different rights depending on whether they arrive in Greece, Italy or Germany, several states – notably Hungary and Slovakia – have signalled resistance to relocation commitments. The European Commission will carry out a first compliance review in July to assess how member states implement the pact.