Lawmakers in the European Parliament will today vote on a package of new laws on migration, known as The New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Agreed by member states in December amid pressure from far-right parties, the pact took several years to negotiate.
European elections in June will likely be shaped by the migration issue – meaning the EU is eager to get this pact across the finishing line.
If enacted, the pact will make it easier for member states to limit the number of migrants who enter the European Union, giving them stronger mechanisms to deal with asylum applicants.
In lieu of accepting migrants into their own territory, it will also give countries the option of making financial contributions or providing support to other member states.
Though the pact’s five laws are expected to be approved by a slim majority in the parliament, human rights groups and parties on the left have warned that they will weaken protections for asylum applicants.
Far-right parties, on the other hand, have criticised the new mechanisms, calling them an “ineffective smokescreen”.
