After a two-year transition period, the EU’s Migration and Asylum Pact finally came into full effect on June 12, 2026.
As reported by HA Viewpoint, the Pact was officially approved in May 2024, covering comprehensive measures in areas like migration management, asylum applications, and border controls. It’s designed to unify asylum procedures across member states and establish a fair burden-sharing mechanism among them.
The core goal is to fix the long-standing failures and fragmentation in the EU’s migration governance system that have persisted since the 2015 refugee crisis, pushing member states from “going it alone” to “coordinated unity.”
With migration running rampant, racial issues have become highly sensitive political topics across many European countries, frequently sparking deadly conflicts in places like France and Germany.
Public data shows that over 70% of migrants whose asylum applications are rejected still remain within the EU, straining public resources and creating security pressures. In recent years, Europe—including the UK—has weathered multiple crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and public patience with migration issues has worn thin.
The new regulations allow for setting up return centers outside the EU to house illegal migrants. The maximum detention period within the EU has been extended from the previous 18 months to 24-30 months, with no clear time limit for transfers to external centers. Authorities are also empowered to seize belongings, collect biometric data, and even search homes, while imposing entry bans and fines on those who don’t cooperate.
At the same time, the Pact’s impact on legal migration includes systematically raising entry thresholds, tightening screening mechanisms, and limiting long-term residency pathways. For example, the salary threshold for the EU Blue Card has been raised, especially for shortage occupations in MINT fields (math, IT, natural sciences, technology) and medical/health professions.
For Chinese citizens holding valid Schengen visas, EU student visas, work permits, or permanent residency, as long as their documentation is in order and their visa status is normal, their daily business activities, travel, work, and study won’t be directly restricted by the Pact.
There’s disagreement within the EU on this. Many high-welfare countries are actively cooperating. For instance, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez had already asked the European Commission to implement it earlier, in the summer of 2025.
Meanwhile, some member states are seeking to opt out of the mandatory migrant relocation mechanism outlined in the Pact.
Hungary’s then-Prime Minister Orbán said on social media late last year that as long as Hungary has a national government, it won’t implement the Pact. Hungary won’t accept illegal migrants, nor will it pay a single cent for them. The new Prime Minister, Magyar, further strengthened this stance after his election victory in April, promising to “continue reinforcing the southern border fence” to “protect Hungary and all of Europe” from the impact of illegal migration.
On June 1 of this year, Hungary’s Minister of Social Affairs officially issued a decree completely banning economic migrants from third countries, making Hungary the first EU country to systematically exclude non-humanitarian migration through domestic law.
Because it failed to comply with a 2020 European Court ruling on migrant transit zones, Hungary has been fined an additional €1 million per day since June 2024.
As a Central and Eastern European country, Hungary has long been at odds with the EU over national interests, ideology, and political maneuvering. Due to its geographic position, the country is heavily dependent on Russian natural gas. The EU’s push for energy sanctions against Russia and its demand to reduce Russian gas imports directly threaten Hungary’s energy security and economic stability, leading to strong resistance from Budapest.
