European Union ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Tuesday to finalize sweeping reforms to migration and asylum laws.
The new reforms are the result of years of heated debate, reaching its peak during a vote in the European Parliament on April 11th.
Protesters disrupted the vote, throwing paper airplanes around the chamber and chanting “Kill this treaty, vote no.”
The new law requires the 27 EU member states to share some responsibility for managing asylum requests, while also tightening rules for applicants.
As a result, the reforms have come under attack from both those seeking to reduce immigration and activists aiming to ease entry into the EU.
For activists, the most controversial part of the reform package is the establishment of border facilities within the EU to host asylum seekers, subjecting them to screening and deporting those whose asylum claims are not substantiated.
Additionally, asylum seekers may be required to spend up to 12 weeks in reception centers awaiting a decision.
On the other hand, European countries experiencing a significant increase in asylum requests may demand the distribution of asylum seekers to other European countries.
The European Union witnessed over one million asylum applications last year, marking the highest number in seven years, primarily from Syrians and Afghans, as announced by the European Union Agency for Asylum on Wednesday.
This surge in asylum requests in 2023 nearly reaches the levels of 2015-2016, a period during which hundreds of thousands, including Syrians fleeing the civil war, sought refuge in Western countries, according to Agence France-Presse.
Immigration remains a critical issue in Europe as the elections in June draw near, with an expected increase in representation for far-right nationalist parties advocating for stricter entry standards in the European Parliament.
