NEWS
The new EU Asylum Pact enters into force
12 June 2026 — European Union
The facts
On 12 June 2026 the European Asylum Procedure Regulation, part of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, entered into force. It introduces accelerated border procedures, offshore "return hubs" for those rejected, and an EU list of "safe third countries" to which applicants may be transferred.
Legal comment
Transfer to "safe third countries" without individual examination and an effective suspensive remedy conflicts with the principle of non-refoulement (Art. 33 Geneva Convention) and the prohibition of collective expulsions (Protocol 4 ECHR). The designation of a country as "safe" remains reviewable by courts, as the CJEU held on 1 August 2025.
Implications
The Pact shifts to European level the externalisation logic so far run by individual States. It is the heart of our manifesto on asylum: governing flows without extinguishing the law.
Sources: EU Perspectives · Amnesty · IBA
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