Authors
Rosa Santa Serravalle - Senior Researcher Mondo Internazionale G.E.O. Cultura & Società
Simona Chiesa - Senior Researcher Mondo Internazionale G.E.O. Cultura & Società
3. EU Migration Pact: governance, structure and policy implications
In recent years, the European Union has undertaken a substantial reform of its migration governance framework, culminating in the adoption of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in 2024. This reform emerged in response to persistent structural weaknesses in the pre-existing system, particularly those associated with the Dublin Regulation, which had long been criticised for placing disproportionate responsibility on frontline Member States and failing to ensure an equitable distribution of asylum seekers across the Union. The increasing politicisation of migration, combined with repeated crises at the EU’s external borders, further highlighted the need for a more coordinated and resilient system (European Commission, 2024; Council of the European Union, 2025). This need for reform is also highlighted in recent analyses, which emphasise how persistent divergences in national asylum systems and uneven migratory pressures have undermined the coherence of EU migration governance over time (European Migration Network, 2025).
The Pact represents an attempt to reconcile competing objectives that have historically characterised EU migration policy: on the one hand, the need for solidarity and responsibility-sharing among Member States; on the other, the growing emphasis on border control, security, and the containment of irregular migration flows. Rather than introducing a purely transformative model, the Pact can be understood as a hybrid framework that combines elements of continuity with significant institutional innovation. It seeks to enhance coordination at the European level while preserving a degree of national discretion, thereby reflecting the political constraints inherent in migration governance within the EU.
At the core of the Pact lies the Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, which replaces the previous Dublin III Regulation and establishes a revised system for determining responsibility for asylum applications. The new regulation aims to improve both efficiency and stability by reducing secondary movements and clarifying the allocation of responsibility among Member States. At the same time, it introduces a structured mechanism of “mandatory but flexible solidarity”, requiring Member States to contribute to the management of migration pressures while allowing them to choose the form of their contribution, whether through relocation of asylum seekers, financial support, or operational assistance (European Commission, 2024).
This reconfiguration of responsibility represents one of the most significant innovations of the Pact. Under the previous Dublin system, responsibility was largely determined by the country of first entry, a rule that disproportionately affected border states such as Italy and Greece. The new framework seeks to mitigate these imbalances by institutionalising solidarity mechanisms, while avoiding the political resistance associated with compulsory relocation quotas. However, the flexibility embedded in the system also raises questions about its effectiveness, as Member States may opt for financial contributions rather than physical relocation, potentially limiting the redistributive impact of the mechanism.
A further key component of the Pact is the introduction of enhanced border procedures, including a mandatory pre-entry screening process for individuals arriving irregularly at the EU’s external borders. This screening mechanism is designed to quickly assess identity, security risks, and admissibility, thereby enabling a more efficient channeling of individuals either into the asylum system or into return procedures. In parallel, accelerated border procedures aim to process certain asylum claims within shorter timeframes, particularly for applicants from countries with low recognition rates (European Commission, 2024). According to recent assessments, these instruments are intended not only to improve efficiency, but also to reduce secondary movements and increase predictability across Member States, addressing long-standing coordination failures within the EU asylum system (European Migration Network, 2025). At the same time, however, their implementation raises practical challenges related to administrative capacity, processing times, and the safeguarding of fundamental rights, particularly in high-pressure border contexts
These measures reflect a broader shift towards the externalisation and securitisation of migration management, a trend that has become increasingly prominent in EU policy over the past decade. While the Pact emphasises the importance of protecting fundamental rights and ensuring access to asylum, it simultaneously reinforces mechanisms aimed at controlling and reducing irregular migration flows. This dual approach illustrates the inherent tension within EU migration governance: the need to balance humanitarian obligations with political pressures to strengthen border control.
The operational dimension of the Pact is further illustrated by the establishment of the Annual Solidarity Pool, as defined in recent Council implementing decisions. The Solidarity Pool sets out the overall contributions expected from Member States on a yearly basis, including the number of relocations and financial commitments required to support countries facing migratory pressure (Council of the European Union, 2025). This mechanism represents an effort to move from ad hoc crisis responses to a more predictable and structured system of burden-sharing. However, its effectiveness will depend on the willingness of Member States to actively participate in the adequacy of the contributions relative to actual migration pressures. Empirical evidence suggests that previous attempts at solidarity-based mechanisms have often been limited by uneven participation and political resistance among Member States, raising questions about the practical enforceability of the new system (European Migration Network, 2024).
The implications of the Pact become particularly evident when considered in relation to national contexts. In countries such as France, where migration systems are already relatively institutionalised, the Pact may reinforce existing structures while introducing additional procedural layers. In contrast, for countries like Poland, which have recently experienced rapid increases in migration inflows, the Pact interacts with evolving national frameworks that combine humanitarian responses with labour market integration and border security concerns. The Polish case is especially relevant given its role as a frontline state on the EU’s eastern border, where migration pressures are closely linked to geopolitical dynamics (European Migration Network, 2024).
The United Kingdom, having left the European Union, operates outside the Pact’s framework, yet its migration policies reflect similar tensions between economic needs and political constraints. This highlights that the challenges addressed by the Pact (labour shortages, irregular migration, and integration) are not unique to the EU but are part of broader global migration dynamics.
Despite its ambitions, the Pact is not without limitations. One of the main criticisms concerns the potential imbalance between solidarity and control. While the framework introduces new mechanisms for responsibility-sharing, it also places strong emphasis on border procedures and return policies, raising concerns about the protection of fundamental rights and the risk of increased detention or procedural constraints for asylum seekers. Furthermore, the reliance on flexible solidarity may undermine the system’s capacity to achieve meaningful redistribution, particularly if Member States prioritise financial contributions over relocation.
Overall, the Pact does not fully resolve the structural drivers of migration, such as demographic imbalances, economic disparities, and geopolitical instability. As a result, it should be seen not as a definitive solution, but as an evolving framework that will require continuous adaptation. Its long-term effectiveness will depend on implementation practices, institutional capacity, and the broader political context within which it operates.
4. Structural tensions and future directions
The comparative analysis of migration systems in France, United Kingdom, and Poland highlights the extent to which contemporary migration governance in Europe is characterised by structural heterogeneity, institutional fragmentation, and persistent internal tensions. Rather than converging towards a unified model, these national experiences illustrate the coexistence of distinct policy paradigms, each reflecting specific historical legacies, economic structures, and political constraints (OECD, 2025; European Migration Network, 2025).
France represents a relatively institutionalised model, grounded in historically embedded migration patterns and characterised by a strong regulatory framework. However, this apparent stability coexists with significant challenges related to integration, social cohesion, and the increasing politicisation of migration (INSEE, 2025; European Commission, 2025). The United Kingdom, by contrast, exemplifies a shift towards a highly selective and economically oriented system, in which migration policy is increasingly used as an instrument of labour market regulation. While this model enhances control over inflows and prioritises high-skilled migration, it also generates inconsistencies and vulnerabilities, particularly in sectors reliant on lower-skilled labour (Migration Observatory, 2025; Government UK, 2025).
Poland introduces a markedly different configuration, defined by rapid transformation and a high degree of policy adaptability. Its migration system, largely shaped by labour demand and geopolitical shocks, demonstrates how migration can be rapidly integrated into economic structures in the absence of deeply institutionalised frameworks. At the same time, this flexibility comes at the cost of increased precarity, labour market segmentation, and exposure to external shocks, raising important questions about long-term sustainability (Statistics Poland, 2025; OECD, 2025).
Taken together, these cases reveal a fundamental paradox at the core of migration governance: while migration is increasingly recognised as a structural component of economic and demographic systems, policy responses remain predominantly short-term, reactive, and nationally bounded. This disconnect is particularly evident in the tension between economic rationality, which drives demand for migrant labour, and political constraints, which push towards restriction and control (OECD, 2025; European Migration Network, 2025).
Within this context, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum can be interpreted not as a definitive solution, but as an institutional attempt to manage this paradox at the supranational level. By combining elements of solidarity, flexibility, and securitisation, the Pact reflects the difficulty of reconciling divergent national interests within a common framework (European Commission, 2024; Council of the European Union, 2025). Its hybrid nature underscores the limits of European integration in the field of migration, where sovereignty concerns and political sensitivities continue to constrain collective action (European Migration Network, 2025).
More broadly, the findings of this analysis suggest that migration governance in Europe is evolving towards a multi-level and functionally differentiated system, in which economic integration, humanitarian protection, and border control are increasingly decoupled. This fragmentation risks undermining both policy coherence and long-term effectiveness, particularly in the absence of mechanisms capable of addressing structural drivers such as demographic decline, labour market transformation, and geopolitical instability (OECD, 2025; European Commission, 2025).
Ultimately, the experiences of France, the United Kingdom, and Poland illustrate that migration is not merely a policy issue, but a structural dimension of contemporary societies. As such, its governance cannot be reduced to border management or labour market needs alone, but must be understood as a complex and evolving process that sits at the intersection of economics, politics, and social transformation. The ability of European states and of the European Union as a whole to navigate this complexity will be decisive in shaping the future trajectory of migration and its role within European societies (European Migration Network, 2025; OECD, 2025).
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