Indian Council of World Affairs

Migration has become an important topic of discussion in various forums, as it is deeply connected with many aspects of human life. Migration, which has been an issue in the European Union, has now become crucial in European politics. European society faces a variety of challenges related to migration, such as demographic crises, irregular migration, and the rehabilitation of asylum seekers[i]. The European Union has recently passed a new set of policy reforms aimed at addressing migration and asylum issues in EU countries. This has elicited multiple reactions from various EU partners, as it represents a change in the perception of migration that experts believed the European Union had once followed[ii].The European Union explains that it has moved towards a fairer, more efficient, and sustainable pathway to migration and asylum through its New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was passed in December 2023. 

This issue brief aims to understand the current discussion regarding asylum and migration among the EU member states, with a focus on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. 

Migration and Challenges ahead for the EU 

For the European nations, the issue related to migration and refugees has remained at the top of the list of issues that have been vocalised over the years. The European society faces different challenges, such as its ageing population, a lack of skilled workers, and irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and refugees[iii]. 

The first challenge facing EU countries is a demographic crisis, where there are more deaths in Europe than births. This makes the demographic line disadvantageous to the younger population. The average fertility rate in Europe was 1.57 live births per woman in 2021. In fact, since 2014, there has been a negative birth rate in European nations. Migration kept the population growing, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, the figures dipped. Data from Eurostat show that, in 2100, people aged between 65 and 79 will account for 17% of the population, 2% more than in the year 2022[iv]. People above 80 years accounted for only 6% in 2022, and it will increase to 12%. Meanwhile, children and young people aged between 0 and 19 are projected to decrease by 2%, and the working population is projected to decrease from 59% to 50%. This means that, in the coming decades, the population of older people will increase and the younger population will decrease, affecting the overall functioning of countries in EU, leading to a decline in the workforce population. In this case, the migration of skilled workers naturally becomes an important element to boost the economy[v]. 

The second challenge European Union is facing is the accommodation of refugees and asylum seekers due to irregular migration. For years, Europe has welcomed refugees and asylum seekers from many parts of the world. However, there has been a shift in the attitude of people towards irregular migration, from a positive approach to a negative approach. This can be accounted for by various economic and political developments within the countries, such as the housing crisis, party politics, illegal migrants at borders, human trafficking, and the smuggling of drugs[vi]. Across various European nations, there is a sharp rise in the number of protests against irregular migration to Europe, and the far-right political parties have capitalised on these sentiments which has partially contributed to their gradual rise. 

The third challenge is being faced by the EU member states is the issue of burden sharing between member states regarding the influx of asylum seekers. Border states such as Italy and Greece often receive the highest number of refugees, and bear an extra burden resulting in these countries wanting a more flexible system that would transfer the asylum seekers to other countries however, this has sparked debates, with countries like Poland and Hungary strongly opposing the new reforms as they did not want to take refugees, making it difficult to reach a consensus among the member states regarding the issue of burden sharing because of diverse opinions. The EU states were caught in a circle of shifting blame on each other until the New Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted. 

As Europe faces new problems, debates are growing on how Europe will solve this crisis. In fact, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted by the EU, sets a new foundation for the European Union’s view on migration, ushering in a new way of thinking that political scientists say is far from its constitutional goals on the Right to Asylum[vii]. 

The EU and the New Pact on Migration and Asylum 

The New Pact on Migration and Asylum was agreed upon by the European Parliament on December 20, 2023. It is an ambitious Pact undertaken by the European Union which will address the issues faced by Skilled migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. This agreement came after 7 long years of discussions between the members, the European Parliament, and the European Commission[viii]. The Pact responds to the irregular arrival that began in 2015 and how border states such as Italy and Greece had to bear more burden than other states. This new pact focuses on burden-sharing between European countries for better management of irregular migration. It aims to solve three major issues the EU is facing. 

The first issue wherein the EU member states were divided was the issue of responsibility sharing with the new arrivals of asylum seekers. As border states like Italy and Greece used to receive the highest numbers of asylum seekers bearing an additional burden, both the countries were looking for a conducive system in place that would enable transfer of refugees to other EU countries as well, but this has sparked debates, with countries like Poland and Hungary strongly opposing the new reforms as they do not want to either bear the burden of taking asylum seekers or provide funding for the same. While the pact was passed, and it is considered historic between the member states, Hungary was in dissent, and Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjart said that they had rejected the deal in the ‘strongest way possible’[ix]. The rest of the members of parliament of EU have decided to move forward with the new pact and run through its reforms as soon as possible. 

The new reforms under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum provide all the member states with two options: either to provide funding of about 20,000 euros per asylum seeker into the Euro fund or process 30,000 asylum applicants[x]. 

The second issue that the New Pact on Migration and Asylum seeks to solve is the issue of screening asylum seekers and vetting out the needed applicants. A better system for streamlining asylum applicants has been put into place with the emergence of the new pact. New regulations for better management of asylum seekers include a uniform screening system for identification for non-EU citizens, Eurodac Registration, Asylum Process Regulation, Asylum Migration Management Regulation, and Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation. Most of these reforms aim to help asylum seekers in need and provide them with assistance[xi]. However, Non-Governmental Organisations like the International Rescue Committee have criticised the EU, stating that the Pact will create more detention centres and that people will be trapped in them without any way out[xii]. 

The third issue the pact tries to look at is the issue of skilled labour and bringing in new migrants to the country. As the EU’s population rate has been going down for a long time, it has become necessary to bring in migrant workers to grow the economy. To attract new skills into the country for economic growth, the EU has revised certain rules for the Blue Card. This framework has been established at the EU level and aims to provide free movement for people in non-EU countries[xiii]. Various flexible arrangements, such as decreasing the salary threshold and reducing the number of months for the employment contract to 6 months, have been implemented. The EU also mentions that highly skilled beneficiaries of international protection will receive the EU Blue Card. The scheme provides an opportunity for workers to bring their families to Europe and access the labour markets, and intra-mobility with other EU states is also made easier. Under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, it is also easier to change jobs after the initial months in Europe. The new pact aims to provide easier access for skilled and professional workers to Europe[xiv]. Although the EU has laid out guidelines that give migrants flexibility, the issue with these reforms is that they are very member-specific in terms of how the EU countries will implement these new changes. Hence, not everyone will benefit from these reforms. 

Reactions and Responses to the New Pact on Migration and Asylum 

The EU's New Pact on Migration and Asylum is a comprehensive agreement which deals with three broad categories of people entering its borders; the skilled migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. It has gathered mixed responses from policy think tanks, political scientist, Non-Governmental Organisations, and researchers.   

Tomas Tobe, a Member of Parliament of EU, explains that European countries must join hands to reduce irregular migration and form links with third-world countries to control external borders and protect those in need[xv]. With the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU is trying to move towards a safe and sustainable form of migration, as explained by the European Commission. 

Firstly, refugees are often seen as a burden, and an influx of refugees into European countries in the past decades has stirred a lot of opinions and issues regarding the social integration of refugees. There is a lot of controversy regarding the rehabilitation and settlement of the refugees because of the socio-economic impact on the host nations, such as the housing crisis, crime rates, and smuggling[xvi].  

While experts think that the EU is moving away from safeguarding its values on refugees and is turning a blind eye towards human rights violations,[xvii], and to add to this, there is also a categorisation of who the good refugees and bad refugees in Europe are. The EU member states have differential attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees, and they are treated well. An example of this is how Ukrainian refugees in Poland are granted temporary doctor licences to look after patients[xviii]. This sets a certain privilege in the way Ukrainian refugees are treated, while on the other hand, people look down upon refugees from Afghanistan and African countries. 

But Alena Kudzko, Director of Globsec Policy Institutes, differs on this view. She explains that the EU has moved towards an inclusive approach by welcoming Ukrainian refugees and providing help for them, but public sentiments have changed and people are in fact asking for a cut in the budget allocated to them. While people do not care about the jobs the refugees take up, since they are often low-paid and low-skilled, in an economic crisis, the public sphere will respond differently than now[xix]. 

Analysts questions the path European countries are headed down. European countries response to the pact is a rather political one, focusing on the party politics and elections ahead. They question how European countries have shifted attitudes towards asylum seekers from being protectors of those fleeing prosecution to pushing the asylum seekers out of its border. 

Anti- Immigration waves have also been happening in the European Union and with the rise of right-wing politics among European countries, there is also a rise in anti-immigration sentiments and many political parties are making use of these circumstances to push forward electoral campaigns as parities. For example, in Germany, the right-wing political party Alternative for Germany is using anti-immigration policies as part of its campaign[xx].What becomes interesting in the political discourse of European political parties is they are also adopted by other parties, such as the liberals and centre rights. This change in political campaigns is because of the strong sentiments of people towards irregular migration. Analysts also explain that migration is often portrayed as a crisis only during times of elections, demographic crises, or as a diversion from other important issues. In the background, it has always remained waiting to be used by politicians and leaders alike[xxi]. 

Another important response to the New Pact on Migration and Asylum is from international non-governmental organisations like the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and Human Rights Watch. They have condemned the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum and called it an insensitive move towards asylum seekers and refugees. These organisations point out how this pact will lead to more detention centres, as people will not be treated as having entered EU territory under the new pact and will be kept in detention centres, including women and children[xxii], the EU is faced with a difficult issue that can either be a disadvantage or an advantage at the same time. The EU needs migrants for its economy to grow, but at the same time, the EU is faced with an economic burden by increasing the number of refugees that arrive every day on the shores of EU states. What is important for the EU is to find a way to integrate the refugees into the European economy. 

Conclusion 

With the changing political landscape of Europe, migration has been gaining tremendous ground in the public sphere. It makes headlines for refugee issues, border control measures, demographic crises, and labour shortages, among other things. Among many factors, migration can be described as having a significant impact on the lives of the host nation as well as the immigrants. The New Pact on Migration and Asylum is an advancement in the direction of the free movement of people through safe mechanisms. However, at the same time, it has been criticised for not solving the inherent problems and providing adequate solutions to refugees’ issues. Europe’s discussion on migrants and refugees is not uniform, and it hinders the process of a uniform policy. If a middle ground is not found among the member states, any new pact aimed at resolving issues will not solve overarching problems.

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*Aleena T Sabu, Research Intern, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.

Endnotes

[i] U. (2023, December 14). Migration to the EU: facts, not perceptions. United Nations Western Europe. https://unric.org/en/migration-to-the-eu-facts-not-perceptions/#:~:text=In%202021%2C%202.26%20million%20people,that%20also%20reflect%20previous%20arrivals

[ii] Coz, H. B. C. L. (2024, January 10). One Phase Closes for the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Now. migrationpolicy.org. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/new-pact-migration-asylum

[iii] Bello, C. (2024, February 1). In data: The EU faces a major demographic decline with 27.3 million fewer people by 2100. Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/04/04/china-sees-first-population-decline-in-six-decades-where-does-the-eu-stand#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20is%20on,27.3%20million%20people%2C%20by%202100

[iv] Bello, C. (2024, February 1). In data: The EU faces a major demographic decline with 27.3 million fewer people by 2100. Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/04/04/china-sees-first-population-decline-in-six-decades-where-does-the-eu-stand#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20is%20on,27.3%20million%20people%2C%20by%202100

[v] The economic impact of migration on Europe. (2024, January 23). Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/01/22/the-economic-impact-of-migration-on-europe#:~:text=The%20recent%20surge%20in%20migration,of%20Europe%20and%20its%20states.

[vi] European Countries tighten borders. (2024, January 11). Reuters. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/european-countries-tighten-borders-2023-11-24/

[vii] Article 18 - Right to asylum. (2023, November 17). European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. https://fra.europa.eu/en/eu-charter/article/18-right-asylum#:~:text=Given%20the%20level%20of%20protection,in%20relation%20to%20asylum%20matters

[viii] New Pact on Migration and Asylum. (2023, December 20). Migration and Home Affairs. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/new-pact-migration-and-asylum_en

[ix] Explained | The “historic” new pact on migrants that EU countries finalised. (2023, December 21). WION. https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-the-historic-new-pact-on-migrants-that-eu-countries-finalised-672200

[x] ibid

[xi] New Pact on Migration and Asylum. (2023, December 20). Migration and Home Affairs. https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/new-pact-migration-and-asylum_en

[xii] Eu, I. I. T. (2023, December 21). What is the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum? The IRC in the EU. https://www.rescue.org/eu/article/what-eu-pact-migration-and-asylum

[xiii]   Press corner. (n.d.). European Commission - European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_21_2522

[xiv] Press corner. (n.d.). European Commission - European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_21_2522

[xv] EPP Group. (2023, June 18). EU Council Debate on Migration: Project External Borders [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://youtu.be/Q0N8TnQYzEk?si=xH2GJhFb7CH0U-vm

[xvi] The economic impact of migration on Europe. (2024, January 23). Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/business/2024/01/22/the-economic-impact-of-migration-on-europe#:~:text=The%20recent%20surge%20in%20migration,of%20Europe%20and%20its%20states

[xvii] Judy Asks: Is Migration Europe’s Achilles Heel? (n.d.). Carnegie Europe. https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/88486

[xviii] Kluge, H. (2023, June 20). Refugees can fix Europe’s doctor crisis. Poland’s showing how. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/6/20/refugees-can-fix-europes-doctor-crisis-polands-showing-how

[xix] Judy Asks: Is Migration Europe’s Achilles Heel? (n.d.). Carnegie Europe. https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/88486

[xx] Germany: Between Needing Foreign workers and growing anti-immigration Views DW News. (2023, October 5). [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://youtu.be/PrpiS6xNSRI?si=741q8S9bNwB6KpDy

[xxi] Judy Asks: Is Migration Europe’s Achilles Heel? (n.d.). Carnegie Europe. https://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/88486

[xxii] Eu, I. I. T. (2023, December 21). What is the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum? The IRC in the EU. https://www.rescue.org/eu/article/what-eu-pact-migration-and-asylum