EU reaches agreement on overhaul of migration system, tighten asylum rules

European Union member states and the European Parliament have agreed to a major overhaul of the bloc’s migration system which will tighten asylum rules for both migrants and asylum-seekers.

The reform includes speedier vetting of irregular arrivals, the creation of border detention centres, accelerated deportation for rejected asylum applicants, and a solidarity mechanism to take pressure off southern countries experiencing big inflows of migrants.

The European Commission Vice President, Margaritis Schinas, who announced this in a post on X on Wednesday, described the deal as a breakthrough for the EU.

READ ALSO: Illegal immigrants face deportations as EU adopts tougher sanctions

On his part, the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, hailed the deal as a “landmark agreement.”

“The EU reached a landmark agreement on a new set of rules to manage migration and asylum,” Metsola said in the post.

Schinas stressed that agreements on reforms are designed to share the cost of hosting migrants and refugees and limit the numbers of people coming into the bloc after years of discussion on how to overhaul its outdated asylum rules.

However, refugee rights groups have kicked against the agreement, saying the deal will create a cruel system that is unworkable.

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