With the entry into force of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Europe is entering “a new era.” But that new chapter is unlikely to begin without difficulties, with some voices already speaking of disappointment.
“There may be some drawbacks, some mistakes that we will have to correct,” Cyprus’ Deputy Minister for Migration, Nicholas Ioannides, said as he opened an informal ministerial conference on the Pact in Cyprus on Friday.
As the legislation officially takes effect, EU ministers met to discuss how to turn a hard-fought political agreement into an operational reality. Talks focused on border management, screening procedures and implementation readiness, while also looking ahead to stronger return policies, efforts to combat irregular migration and smuggling networks, and the expansion of legal migration pathways.
The Pact’s launch marks the culmination of two years of negotiations and preparations. Yet even before its full implementation, concerns are already emerging.
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Delays and fake “solidarity”
Just days before the regulation entered into force, MEP Birgit Sippel (S&D/DE), the European Parliament’s rapporteur for the regulation on screening third-country nationals at external borders, voiced frustration about the state of preparedness across the bloc.
“I am a little disappointed. Two years after the agreement on the Migration and Asylum Pact, when member states had the opportunity to implement this legislation, we must realize that no member state is 100% ready”, she said.
According to an EU official source, 11 member states are currently ready, while the remaining 16 are “finalizing the last details and assure us that they will be ready by the end of the month.”
Questions also remain over the Pact’s Solidarity Mechanism, designed to ease migratory pressure on frontline member states.
“The European Parliament will continue to monitor the implementation of the Pact very closely.”
— MEP Javier Zarzalejos (LIBE/ES)
Ioannides insisted that the framework must be “future-proof, functional, and a success,” while downplaying disagreements surrounding the Pact, particularly criticism from Hungary and Poland over the solidarity provisions.
“No member state has actually stated that they will not implement the Pact. There may be differing opinions, but essentially we are all on the same page,” he said.
Spain is among the countries that could benefit from the redistribution mechanism, given the migratory pressure it faces. However, implementation is moving forward without some of the legislative reforms that had been expected, including a new asylum law to replace the current framework dating from 2009.
For Spain, one of the EU’s main entry points along the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, the most immediate changes will concern screening procedures, data collection and accelerated processing.
Parliament promises close scrutiny
Speaking upon arrival at the ministerial conference, Javier Zarzalejos (LIBE/ES), Chair of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee, praised both the Cypriot Presidency and Parliament’s role in securing the agreement.
He described the Pact as “a very significant achievement, which has proven particularly fruitful at a very important and difficult time for the European Union.”
“We’re seeing a 55% decrease in the last two years.”
— Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration
At the same time, Zarzalejos acknowledged criticism from civil society organisations and stressed that Parliament would closely monitor how the new rules are applied.
“The European Parliament will continue to monitor the implementation of the Pact very closely,” he said, highlighting in particular the need to uphold the Pact’s “very strong set of fundamental rights guarantees.”
Early results, according to the Commission
For Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, the first signs are already encouraging, pointing to the results of the EU’s migration diplomacy over recent years.
“We’re seeing a 55% decrease in the last two years. On some routes, such as the Western Balkans, for example, we’ve seen a 90% decrease in the last three years. In the first four months of 2026, we’re seeing a 67% decrease on the route from Turkey to the Aegean islands. So a lot is happening, and we’re moving in the right direction,” Brunner said.
Still, the discussions in Cyprus highlighted the challenge now facing the EU: turning a political compromise into a functioning system.
While ministers broadly agreed that the Pact marks the beginning of a new phase in European migration policy, they also acknowledged that its success will depend not only on new rules, but on sustained cooperation, solidarity and effective delivery across the Union.
