The European Union migration and asylum pact came into force on 12 June, making it legally binding for member states and introducing a comprehensive overhaul of asylum, border control, and responsibility-sharing rules across the bloc.
The pact consists of 10 legislative measures covering procedural, technical, and security aspects of asylum and migration, as well as the management of Europe’s external borders and the distribution of responsibility for receiving asylum seekers among member states.
Nine of these measures apply directly in member states from the moment the pact entered into force. The remaining measure contains guidelines that must be incorporated into national legislation within a defined timeframe.
Work and political negotiations on the pact, involving governments and the European Parliament, took more than two years. It was presented as an attempt by the European Commission in Brussels to contain rising far-right political pressure across Europe.
It also aimed to update asylum policy in response to crises that have affected EU countries since 2014.
These included successive waves of irregular migration and asylum seekers arriving at the bloc’s external borders, particularly from Arab countries affected by internal armed conflicts, including Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Sudan.
They also included increasing attempts to cross from Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco toward European shores, driven by authoritarian rule and economic hardship. Implications for MENA The policy is expected to have significant implications for Arab countries, particularly southern Mediterranean states.
Applicants from Arab countries seeking protection in Europe will be subject to stricter procedures, especially those arriving from countries the European Union has designated as "safe", including Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco.
Human rights conditions in these countries are dire, but political and strategic considerations have prevailed in European decision-making. These include efforts to secure cooperation from these governments in controlling Europe’s southern borders and preparing for potential future reception centres for rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants.
These centres are intended to operate before returning to countries of origin or third countries willing to accept them.
In this context, Egypt adopted a new asylum law encouraged by the European Union.
The law positions Egypt as a European partner in managing migration flows and strengthening cooperation on preventing the onward movement of asylum seekers and migrants, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa.
However, since the law was adopted, reports of persecution, detention, and deportation of asylum seekers have increased sharply, particularly among Sudanese and Syrian nationals.
An investigation published by The Guardian last month documented allegations of widespread abuses against refugees in Egypt.
According to the report, growing numbers of Sudanese refugees fleeing the civil war no longer view Egypt as a safe destination but as a temporary stop.
This has prompted consideration of onward movement to Europe despite the risks.
The investigation cited accounts describing extreme poverty, racial discrimination against Sudanese refugees, labour exploitation, and difficulties obtaining residency and basic services.
It also reported arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and deportations to Sudan regardless of the risks they may face upon return. European ICE? The new European legislative framework is expected to deepen cooperation with southern Mediterranean countries through substantial financial support aimed at managing population movements.
Such arrangements have already begun through what are described as comprehensive strategic partnerships with southern Mediterranean Arab states. This includes financial assistance that has helped ease Egypt’s severe economic and financial crisis.
The new procedures introduced under the pact have faced criticism from lawyers and humanitarian organisations.
Critics argue they will place heavy burdens on vulnerable individuals required to demonstrate eligibility for protection.
The pact introduces an accelerated asylum decision-making mechanism that, according to critics, risks undermining safeguards for legal defence and representation. It also allows for the detention of asylum seekers at border centres and accelerates deportations of rejected applicants.
European authorities are also expected to expand reception centres in partner countries to reduce pressure on domestic asylum systems. This would involve transferring applicants outside European territory while their cases are processed.
Control of migration flows into Europe is expected to remain a central issue in political and media debates across member states. It continues to shape electoral politics and influence successive general elections. Even centrist and progressive politicians have increasingly been drawn into the debate, at times adopting positions closer to the conservative right in an effort to appeal to those voter blocs, which continue to grow.
The pact may therefore provide a short-term mechanism for managing migration pressures in Europe. However, it is unlikely to resolve the broader asylum and migration challenge as long as its underlying drivers persist in southern Mediterranean countries, such as political authoritarianism and recurring armed conflicts. Moataz El Fegiery is a scholar and human rights practitioner with over 14 years of experience in human rights research and advocacy in the Middle East and North Africa. He is Assistant Professor and Head of Human Rights Program, Doha Institute for Graduate studies Have questions or comments? Email us at: editorial-english@newarab.com Opinions expressed here are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect those of their employer, or of The New Arab and its editorial board or staff. Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .