European Union announces major change in migration policy

ISLAMABAD: International media reported earlier this week that Europe has approved a new and much tougher migration/asylum package after nearly ten years of debate.

The package addresses the issues of who should be responsible for migrants and refugees when they arrive, and whether other EU countries should help.

The new rules aim to help filter migrants seeking asylum from conflicts in their own countries. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the package is the construction of border facilities for asylum seekers in the EU and the immediate screening and deportation of those who do not qualify.

The package aims to reduce the burden on countries that have historically accepted the largest number of asylum applicants among the EU’s 27 member states. According to CNN, countries such as Greece, Italy and Malta have seen large influxes of people from the Middle East and North Africa as a result of the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war.

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Apart from history, politics seems to be the driving force behind the passage of the latest bill. Anti-immigrant politicians could score enough to gain blocking power in the EU parliament, reports suggest.