EU Pact: most significant reform of the EU in the field of migration to date

Statement of ICMPD on the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The EU Pact on Asylum and Migration represents the most significant reform initiative of the European Union in the field of asylum and migration to date. The finalisation of the Pact presents a new opportunity for cooperation, highlighting a clearer direction for the future of the EU.

After years of thorough preparations and balanced negotiations, tomorrow marks a significant step in how the EU will decisively face complex migration challenges with concrete solutions and address the gaps with opportunities for innovative collaboration. A good number of Member States have used the momentum of the Pact for serious national reform efforts. The fact that this has been achieved on such a large scale, and with such intensity over just two years, is a major European accomplishment.

Member States are the main drivers of change
To gain a sense of the impact of this breakthrough Pact, one needs to reflect on what is possible. At ICMPD, through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), we have been given the opportunity to work closely with Member States since the Pact was adopted in 2024. Under ICMPD’s Member States Programme (MSP), we have supported Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania and Romania in the development of their national implementation plans and the adaptation of legal frameworks. Funded by the EU, we organised study visits and peer exchanges; mapped, analysed and developed workflows for responsibility-sharing, and assessed the vulnerabilities.

We also supported the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms; prepared training and guidance materials and developed e-learning courses; produced recommendations for enhancing the interoperability of digital management systems; and developed, tested and refined standard operating procedures for screening and border procedures. Recently, ICMPD organised a large-scale simulation exercise to test the crisis preparedness and contingency planning in Romania.

A key element of all this support was establishing a Community of Practice to harness participating Member States’ experiences, find common best practices to tackle implementation challenges, and share practical solutions related to the Pact. These include priority areas such as the screening regulation, independent monitoring, vulnerability assessment, safeguards for unaccompanied and separated children, legal counselling, and simulation and testing exercises. We believe these are also areas in which sustained reform and cooperation will remain beneficial for the Member States.

These efforts illustrate the impressive dedication, strong commitment, and level of professionalism displayed by the Member States and participating institutions. In this context it has also become clear that the work of reform will not end with the Pact entering into force. We can anticipate that demands may shift, and new needs emerge. As the European Commission stated in its last report on the state of play on the implementation of the Pact, challenges remain and will remain after tomorrow. Therefore, ICMPD remains ready and committed not only to replicate the success of the Member States Programme; but also, to work at scale with more States in their implementation of the Pact.

Looking ahead, the so called ‘external dimension’ will be the crucial enabler for the functioning of a key element of the Pact, i.e., the border procedure, and has to be an integral part of a European migration governance system. Therefore, important resources need to be mobilised.

Partnerships and routes-based-approach
ICMPD has built bridges across regional boundaries, following a routes-based-approach, creating common ground among partners whose starting points, interests and challenges may differ significantly. We have worked extensively with non-EU partners on sensitive issues such as human trafficking and migrant smuggling, border security and migration controls, and return. Through the migration dialogues that we support across several regions, as well as through our operational flagship initiatives – we have transformed these challenges into a space in becoming a catalyst and enabler of partnerships that matter most to communities.

Joint efforts like the Migrant Resource Centres, Anti-Trafficking Programmes, Talent Partnerships and, more recently, the Legal Gateway Office in India – all signify the closely linked migratory dynamics beyond Europe’s borders, in which partnerships are the cornerstone of success. The expansion of ICMPD’s work shows the organisation’s readiness in handling the complexities of these processes, across various contexts.

“As ICMPD, we see it as one of our core responsibilities to support Member States, as well as our partners beyond the EU in building and further developing their asylum and migration governance systems. Whether through policy and research, through dialogues and cooperation, or through projects that specifically cater to the needs of both EU Member States and non-EU partner countries – as ICMPD, we stand ready to support the EU in further advancing this important policy area.” (ICMPD Director General Susanne Raab)

Bernhard Schragl, Head of Corporate Communications
ICMPD
+43 676 7147002
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