The sweeping new migration policy passed by the European Union in 2024 is set to face its first genuine and sensitive test in the coming weeks, as the 27 member states brace for a complex round of negotiations over its implementation. This reform, expected to come into full effect within months, encompasses numerous measures, notably the adoption of a new mechanism for handling asylum claims. The aim is to ease the burden on frontline states along migration routes, such as Greece and Italy. Under the new system, other member states are obliged to annually accept a specific number of asylum seekers for relocation to their territories. If they are unable to do so, they must pay a financial contribution of €20,000 per applicant to the states under significant pressure.
The reform mandates the redistribution of a minimum of 30,000 asylum seekers annually. The initial negotiations, which will determine how these individuals are to be allocated among EU member states, are expected to begin soon. The biggest challenge lies in reaching an agreement on which nations are truly willing to accept asylum seekers arriving from other states. An unnamed European diplomat noted that transferring people is “logistically very easy” via buses and planes, but “politically very complicated.” Another official confirmed that this file is the “most difficult,” citing the fierce criticism directed at European migration policy by Donald Trump, which has intensified external pressure on the bloc.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, MEP Fabienne Keller, a prominent supporter of the reform, commented, “Perhaps we need to remind member states that they are the ones who ultimately negotiated this text,” adding that “the importance of this new system lies in viewing the figures objectively, without descending into demagogic populist rhetoric.” Negotiations on implementing the new system are expected to continue throughout the autumn.
The first phase involves the European Commission compiling a list by October 15, identifying member states deemed to be “under migration pressure” based on a set of criteria, including the number of irregular arrivals and the country’s surface area. This determination is so sensitive that the method of calculating these criteria has already been a subject of dispute. Following this, member states will discuss the number of migrants each country can “redistribute” onto its territory, or the amount of financial aid it is willing to provide. Multiple rounds of negotiations are scheduled before a final, critical decision is reached by the end of the year.
Beyond discussing the mechanism for managing new arrivals, member states are also working to improve the procedures for deporting asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected. Currently, less than 20% of deportation orders within the EU are executed—a figure often cited by advocates for tighter migration policies. Three proposals are currently being considered to toughen the existing rules; if adopted, these measures would allow member states to establish “return centres” outside the EU’s borders to house rejected migrants. Member states hope to reach an agreement on these files by Christmas.
