EU Pact on migration and asylum falls short

Caritas Europa joined efforts with eight Christian organisations to provide analysis and comments on several elements of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum that the European Commission launched on 23 September 2020.

As Christian organisations, we are deeply committed to the inviolable dignity of the human person, as well as to the concepts of the common good, of global solidarity and of the promotion of a society that welcomes strangers. We also share the conviction that the core values of the European Union must be reflected in its policies, including in the area of freedom, security and justice.

In our analysis, we regret that the Pact falls short from providing the ‘fresh start’ it had promised, and replicates, in many aspects, deficient policies from the past. Our comments hereby propose key recommendations to ensure that people’s rights and dignity are respected, and to create more humane migration and asylum policies, anchored in welcoming societies.

• General comments on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum
• Comments on the proposals on pre-entry screening and border procedures
• Comments on the proposal for a regulation on asylum and migration management
• Comments on return policies, readmissions and cooperation with third countries in the framework of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum
• Comments on the Commission recommendation on cooperation for search and rescue and on the guidance on the application of EU rules on prevention of the facilitation of unauthorized entry, transit and residence.

In additions to these joint comments, you can also read Caritas Europa’s position paper on the Pact published in December 2020.