FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026|No. 18086
News · Policy · EU

New EU Migration Rules Take Effect Amid Mixed Reactions

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, a landmark policy years in the making, has come into force, introducing stricter entry measures while drawing criticism from both human rights groups and right-wing factions.

European Union flags fly outside the European Parliament in Brussels ahead of the new migration pact taking effect.
European Union flags fly outside the European Parliament in Brussels ahead of the new migration pact taking effect.
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The European Union’s new migration policy has come into force.

The European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum took effect on Friday.

The policy is the culmination of years of tough negotiations between member states on how to handle incoming asylum seekers and other migrants.

It introduces stricter measures for people who want to enter the EU.

Human rights groups and the left say the reforms could undermine the rights of people seeking refuge, but the right says the new policy doesn’t go far enough.

So, will it deter people from seeking refuge in Europe? And what role have the bloc’s politics played?

Presenter: Anna Francis-Burns

Guests:

Marta Welander – EU advocacy director at International Rescue Committee

Nathalie Tocci – Professor of practice at Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe

Pieter Cleppe – Editor-in-chief at BrusselsReport.eu

Published On 13 Jun 2026

PAN's pipeline reviewed approximately 1 open sources for this article. No human editor reviewed this article before publication.

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