The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have welcomed the entry into force of the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum, describing it as a major opportunity to build a more predictable and coordinated approach to migration management across Europe.
The agencies said the new framework represents a shift away from crisis-driven responses toward a more structured system that can improve cooperation among EU Member States. They emphasized that effective implementation will be essential to ensuring the pact delivers meaningful results for governments, communities, and people on the move.
According to IOM and UNHCR, the pact aims to make asylum systems across the European Union more consistent and efficient. This includes reducing backlogs in asylum processing while maintaining fair and high-quality assessments, offering greater clarity for asylum seekers, and enabling refugees to integrate more quickly into host communities.
The organizations highlighted that stronger solidarity and responsibility-sharing among countries will be central to the success of the reforms. They also noted the importance of addressing root causes of irregular migration, expanding safe and legal pathways, and improving cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
Key elements welcomed by the agencies include earlier identification of individuals with specific protection needs, improved legal assistance, and enhanced independent monitoring at external borders. They also stressed that return procedures for those without legal right to stay must be conducted in a humane and rights-based manner, including access to voluntary return and reintegration support.
While the pact is seen as a step forward, IOM and UNHCR cautioned that its impact will depend on how effectively it is implemented. They underscored that all procedures must include strong safeguards to ensure that individuals are not returned to situations where they may face persecution, violence, or serious harm.
The agencies concluded that if properly implemented, the pact could improve fairness, efficiency, and public confidence in Europe’s migration and asylum systems while upholding human rights and international protection standards.
