The EU parliament has passed a controversial reform of European asylum policies that would tighten border procedures and force all 27 countries in the bloc to share responsibility, AFP reports.
The parliament's main political groups overcame opposition from far-right and far-left parties to pass the new migration and asylum pact, a sweeping reform almost a decade in the making.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the new rules a "historic, necessary step" for the European Union.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ilva Johansson said the bloc "will be able to better protect its external borders, vulnerable people and refugees, quickly return those who have no right to stay" and introduce "binding solidarity" between member states.
Ten pieces of legislation were adopted as part of the overhaul.
Outside the Brussels parliament building, dozens of demonstrators protested against the vote, echoing the criticism of more than 160 charities and NGOs dealing with migrants who consider it a betrayal of the values of the European Union.
In a sign of the fierce opposition, the start of the vote was interrupted by protesters in the public gallery shouting, "This pact kills - vote no!" until the chamber was brought to order.
However, the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) refugee agency endorsed the reform, drafted by the European Commission after a massive influx of refugees rocked the bloc in 2015.
For the far left, the reforms - which include building border detention centers for asylum seekers and sending some to external "safe" countries - are incompatible with Europe's commitment to human rights.
It is a "pact with the devil", said Damien Karrem, a Green MEP.
Far-right lawmakers have complained that the overhaul is not thorough enough to block the entry of illegal migrants, whom they accuse of spreading insecurity and threatening to "submerge" European identity.
"We will not allow ourselves to be replaced or submerged," said Jordan Bardella, a lawmaker who heads France's far-right National Rally party, whose leader is Marine Le Pen, during the debate before the vote.
The main center-right and center-left parties in parliament have called for the pact to be adopted as an improvement on the current situation.
They warned that not accepting the reforms would boost the far right, which is forecast to become a bigger force in the European Parliament after the June elections.
Sophie In 'T Veld, a key figure in pushing through the package, acknowledged "problematic elements, risks and weaknesses" but said that overall, it marked a step forward.
The pact's measures are due to come into force in 2026, after the European Commission determines how it will be implemented in the coming months.
The new border centers will detain irregular migrants while their asylum claims are processed and speed up the deportation of those deemed inadmissible.
In addition, EU countries will be obliged to accept thousands of asylum seekers from 'frontline' countries such as Italy and Greece. Alternatively, they could provide cash or other resources to countries that are under pressure.
The German chancellor, commenting on X, formerly Twitter, said the agreement signified "solidarity between European countries" and would "finally ease the burden of those countries that are particularly hard hit".
A controversial measure is sending asylum seekers to non-EU countries that are deemed "safe" if the migrant has sufficient ties to that country.
The pact has gone through years of thorny negotiations and compromises since the bloc was confronted with the large number of irregular migrants who arrived in 2015, many from war-torn Syria.
Under current EU rules, the arriving country is responsible for receiving and vetting asylum seekers and returning those deemed inadmissible. This has put southern states under pressure and fueled far-right sentiment.
The political breakthrough came in December, when an overwhelming majority of EU states backed the reforms - overcoming opposition from Hungary and Poland.
In parallel with the reform, the EU is multiplying the same kind of agreement it made with Turkey in 2016 to stem migration flows.
It has reached agreements with Tunisia and, more recently, Egypt that are being presented as broader cooperation arrangements. But many lawmakers have criticized those deals. / BGNES
