On 12 June, the Pact on Asylum and Migration entered into application. Since then, the new and revised rules that make up the European asylum policy have been in effect. The pact includes, among other measures, rules on common asylum procedures, returns at the EU’s external borders, and cooperation between Member States.
Pact overview | European asylum policy
European Pact on Migration and Asylum
Update: 17 June 2026
The pact does not cover forms of migration such as labour migration and family reunification. These areas are governed by separate EU directives and by the national legislation of Member States.
Learn more about the pact:
A. About the pact
B. European Migration Network, pact related studies and events
C. Legislation: the directive and the nine regulations
A. About the migration pact
- Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)
- Migration Pact (page in Dutch) - European Migration Network Ireland (EMN Ireland)
- EU Migration and Asylum Pact Series - European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA)
- The Pact on Migration and Asylum - European Commission
- Pact on Migration and Asylum | A common EU system to manage migration
- Legislative files in a nutshell | Pact on Migration and Asylum
- Questions and answers on the Pact on Migration and Asylum - European Council of the European Union
- Pact on migration and asylum - European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
- Pact on Migration and Asylum: FRA's support in its implementation - Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
- European Pact on Migration and Asylum File
- The European Asylum and Migration Pact and its impact on the IND - PICUM (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants)
- EU Pact on Migration and Asylum - Legal Aid Board
- Introduction of the EU Migration Pact: what will change for asylum lawyers? (page in Dutch) - Royal Holloway University of London, EU Law Analysis blog (Steve Peers, professor of EU Law)
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 1: the Qualification Regulation, 30 December 2023
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 2: the Reception Conditions Directive, 1 Januari 2024
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 3: the Resettlement Regulation, 2 Januari 2024
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 4: the new Eurodac Regulation , 21 Maart 2024
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 5: the new Screening Regulation, 26 April 2024
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 6: the new Dublin rules on responsibility for asylum-seekers, 27 April 2024
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 7: the new Regulation on asylum procedures, 28 April 2024
- Asylum Pact 2.0: the EU amends the rules on ‘safe third countries’ and ‘safe countries of origin’, 23 Februari 2026
- New EU Asylum Laws, part 8: the ‘crisis’ Regulation – and conclusions, 28 April 2024 - Government of the Netherlands.nl, government.nl
- New European asylum policy (Migration pact) (page in Dutch)
B. European Migration Network (EMN)
EMN studies, comparative analyses EMN Netherlands
- 'From the Migration Pact onwards, a European list of safe countries will apply; this is how EU Member States currently determine whether a country is safe', 20 April 2026
- 'The Netherlands aims to shorten the waiting period for access to the labour market for asylum seekers with the introduction of the Migration Pact, most EU Member States retain current period', 11 March 2026
- 'Migration pact requires border procedures: half of EU Member States have them, but differences remain significant', 12 February 2026
- 'The Netherlands is one of four EU Member States with a preliminary decision procedure', 5 February 2026
- 'Many cases, low capacity: number of asylum appeals challenge for many courts in EU Member States', 17 July 2025
- 'A migration policy strategy becomes mandatory under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, what approaches have countries taken so far?', 24 April 2025
EMN events
- EMN Cyprus: High-level Presidency Conference, 'Taking stock of the Pact on Migration and Asylum: turning strategy into reality', 19-20 May 2026
- EMN Lithuania: 'Information Day on the Pact on Migration and Asylum', 10 February 2026
- EMN Luxembourg, multi-stakeholder meeting on statelessness: 'Statelessness in the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: with focus on statelessness as a vulnerability' (meeting report), 27 October 2025
- EMN Belgium: Report Presidency Conference: 'The operationalisation and implementation of the Pact on migration and asylum', 24-26 June 2024
Posts EMN Netherlands (in Dutch)
- Migration pact #4 | Responsibilities and solidarity, 11 June 2026
- Migration pact #3 | International protection and procedures, 23 April 2026
- Migration pact #2 | European return policy, 27 March 2026
- Migration pact #1 | What is it about, who does what?, 12 March 2026
C. Legislation: directive and regulations
The directive and nine regulations set out rules on asylum procedures, procedures at the EU’s external borders, and the responsibilities of Member States. Together, they form a comprehensive package of new and revised EU legislation. The regulations have applied in all Member States since 12 June. Member States have to follow these rules, there is very limited scope for introducing additional national provisions. The directive also entered into force on 12 June. However, Member States were required to transpose it into national legislation beforehand.
Directive
- Reception Conditions Directive (EU) 2024/1346, replacing the Reception Conditions Directive (2013/33/EU)
Establishes minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers in the EU. Requires Member States to have sufficient reception capacity.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'Reception conditions for applicants for international protection – EU rules | EUR-Lex'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Directive (EU) 2024/1346 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection'
- The Netherlands national legislation: 'Bill on the Implementation and Transposition Act for the Asylum and Migration Pact 2026' (page in Dutch), 17 December 2025
Regulations
- Qualification Regulation (EU) 2024/1347, replacing the Qualification Directive (2011/95)
Sets out EU-wide criteria for determining whether people are eligible for refugee status (people at risk of individual persecution) or subsidiary protection status (such as war refugees). Also harmonises the rights and obligations associated with these protection statuses.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'Refugees and stateless persons – common standards for qualification'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1347 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and repealing Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council'
- Asylum Procedures Regulation (EU) 2024/1348, replacing the Asylum Procedures Directive (2013/32/EU), Regulation (EU) 2026/463 and Regulation (EU) 2026/464
Introduces a common EU procedure for examining applications for international protection in the Member States. The rules are intended to make asylum procedures faster and more efficient. The 2026 Regulations expand the concept of a safe third country (a country outside the EU) and revise the EU list of safe countries of origin.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'European Union asylum procedures'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU'
- Update, 13 March 2026: 'Major interim changes to asylum law' (page in Dutch) Hemme Battjes (Professor of European Asylum Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- Update, 26 February 2026: 'Final agreement on an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin and revision of the concept of a ‘safe third country’ (Regulations 2026/463 and 2026/464 supplementing the Asylum Procedure Regulation), Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Return Border Procedure Regulation (EU) 2024/1349
Lays down the rules governing the return, at the external borders of the European Union, of third-country nationals and stateless persons whose application for international protection has been rejected in the border procedure. The border procedure applies primarily to applicants of nationalities for which the average recognition rate across EU Member States is 20% or lower.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'Return border procedure regulation (RBPR)'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1349 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a return border procedure, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1148'
- Update, 17 June 2026: 'New EU system for return of illegally staying third country nationals', approval by the European Parliament of the Return Regulation
- Update, 1 June 2026: Provisional agreement between the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reaon the Return Regulation, in addition to the Pact on Migration and Asylum. Among other things, the regulation provides for the placement of people with no legal right to remain in the EU in return centres ('return hubs') outside the EU. To enable this, Member States must first conclude agreements with third countries, provided those countries comply with international human rights standards. Some provisions of the Regulation will apply following the formal agreement, while Member States will have an additional year to prepare for the implementation of other provisions.
- Update, 26 March 2026: In addition to the return measures under the pact, the European Parliament approved the new Return Regulation on 26 March 2026.
- Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Regulation (2024/1350)
Establishes the EU framework for the resettlement and humanitarian admission of refugees. In cooperation with UNHCR, vulnerable refugees can travel safely and legally from countries of first asylum to another country, including EU Member States, to settle there. Globally, only a small proportion of refugees are eligible for this (around 1%).- Summary EUR-Lex: 'EU resettlement and humanitarian admission framework regulation'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147'
- Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (2024/1351), replacing the Dublin III Regulation (604/2013)
Sets out the criteria and procedures for determining which Member State is responsible for examining an asylum application. The Regulation replaces the Dublin III Regulation. It also includes the solidarity mechanism, under which Member States may choose either to relocate asylum applicants from frontline Member States, such as Italy and Greece, or to provide financial support to those countries. - Screening Regulation (2024/1356)
Introduces a mandatory pre-entry screening for people arriving at the external borders of the EU, including checks on identity, health and security risks. Following the screening, people will enter either an asylum procedure or a return procedure.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'Screening of non-EU nationals at the EU’s external borders'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817'
Eurodac Regulation (2024/1358), replacing the Eurodac Regulation (603/2013)
Expands the Eurodac database to include, among other things, the biometric data of asylum applicants and people arriving irregularly in the EU, in support of migration and asylum management within the EU.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'Eurodac – Database for asylum and migration management'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on the establishment of ‘Eurodac’ for the comparison of biometric data in order to effectively apply Regulations (EU) 2024/1351 and (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 2001/55/EC and to identify illegally staying third-country nationals and stateless persons and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by Member States’ law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes, amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council'
- Solidarity mechanism, reform of migration management funding
Amends the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and provides financial support to Member States for the implementation of measures under the Pact. - Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum
Contains special rules for crisis situations at the EU's external borders, for example in the event of exceptionally high numbers of migrants or asylum applicants, or where other countries use migrants to exert pressure on the EU.- Summary EUR-Lex: 'EU migration and asylum policy – situations of crisis and force majeure'
- Official Journal of the EU: 'Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147'
