The new Pact on Asylum and Migration, which reshapes the European framework for managing migration and asylum, enters into full force today, June 12, throughout the European Union. In Greece, the legislative framework for implementing the provisions of the Pact was approved by the Plenary Session of the Hellenic Parliament on June 9, marking the country’s alignment with the new European procedures for border control, the examination of asylum claims, and the return of migrants.
The Greek legislation transposing the new Pact is based on four key pillars: the implementation of mandatory screening procedures at external borders using the upgraded Eurodac system, the acceleration of asylum application processing through stricter timelines and border procedures, strengthening the return framework for those not entitled to international protection, and the country’s overall alignment with the new European model for migration management, with an emphasis on border protection and closer cooperation with European agencies.
A key element of the new framework is the discussion regarding the creation of so-called “return hubs”—centers for returning individuals to third countries outside the EU—for those whose asylum applications have been definitively rejected. As stated by Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris, Greece is participating alongside Germany, Denmark, Austria, and the Netherlands in a joint initiative to promote the plan, while discussions are underway with third countries to sign the first relevant agreements.
The integration of the Pact into the other member states
According to a progress report published by the European Commission in early May, member states have made significant progress in implementing the Pact, with the key pillars of the new system now on track to become operational. However, the Commission notes that further efforts are needed to finalize all necessary elements before the new framework becomes fully operational.
The Pact, adopted in May 2024, comprises ten interlinked legislative acts and introduces a common European system with stronger protection of external borders, new asylum procedures, and mechanisms aimed at balancing solidarity among Member States with the assumption of responsibility for managing migration flows.
The report notes progress in all key areas of implementation. Most Member States are on track to adapt their national legislation, establish mandatory screening and identification procedures at external borders, and set up independent mechanisms to monitor fundamental rights. At the same time, they have strengthened their capacity to manage the transfer of asylum seekers to the Member State responsible for examining their application and to fulfill the solidarity obligations provided for under the new system.
At the European level, the Commission describes the Council’s decision to establish the first annual “Solidarity Pool” as a decisive step; this pool is a key tool of the new mechanism for sharing responsibility among Member States.
Despite the overall progress, the Commission notes that significant issues remain unresolved. Particular emphasis is placed on the completion and testing of the new Eurodac system, the central European biometric database that will support the Pact, on the creation of the necessary infrastructure for control and border procedures, on the implementation of measures to prevent secondary movements and absconding by asylum seekers, as well as on the full activation of the new rules on responsibility and transfers.
The Commission further emphasizes that the effective functioning of the solidarity mechanism is a prerequisite for the success of the new system and stresses that all Member Statesmust contribute in accordance with their obligations under the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation.
To support the transition to the new system, the European Commission is working closely with Member States and relevant European agencies, including the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), eu-LISA, Frontex, Europol, and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). At the same time, it has allocated €3 billion in funding for the implementation of the Pact and to support temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine.
The Commission notes that the entry into force of the Pact on June 12 does not mark the end of the process, but the beginning of a new phase during which Member States, European institutions, and Union agencies will continue to work toward the full operationalization of the new European asylum and migration system. In this context, in October 2026, the Commission will launch the second annual cycle of migration policy evaluation with the publication of a new annual report on the state of asylum and migration in the European Union.
ANA-MPA