EU immigration rules overhaul set for summer, says top official

The European Union's borders will soon be less porous, said Magnus Brunner, the bloc's commissioner for internal affairs and migration.

Brunner, who unveiled the first European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy, is leading an overhaul of the EU's asylum and migration system and developing rules that will take effect this summer.

"The priority is clear: bringing illegal arrival numbers down and keeping them down," he said during the release of the strategy paper on Thursday.

An influx of asylum-seekers into the EU began in 2015, when the number doubled to 1.32 million. By the end of 2023, the total had reached 8.5 million.

More than half of the irregular arrivals were subsequently asked to leave, but around 80 percent of those asked to return home failed to do so and disappeared. And, of those who left, many returned to the European Union.

Brunner said the issue has angered many European voters and fueled the rise of the far right. However, he told The Times: "I don't think it's about left or right or extreme parties. It's about getting it done, getting things right and listening to the voters, listening to the people in Europe."

Voters simply do not want "a system which is abused by people", he added.

"And that's exactly what we have to get right — bringing our European house into order."

Brunner said his tightened rules will be accompanied by changes to the EU's Luxembourg-based Court of Justice to ensure the rights of migrants do not outweigh those of EU residents.

In addition, his new legislation will pave the way for the EU to set up processing hubs in countries outside the bloc, make it easier to deport people convicted of crimes, and allow those from "dangerous" countries to be deported to safer countries they traveled through on their way to Europe.

The rules will also make it easier to deport people who are not genuine asylum-seekers, and for those deported to be banned from returning for 10 years.

"Only one out of five people who are illegally in the EU are being returned to their home countries," Brunner said.

"That's what we want to change. One out of five, that's not acceptable."

Despite criticism from human rights groups over the looming changes, Gerald Darmanin, France's minister of justice, has urged Brunner to persevere, saying the situation in France has become intolerable, with a new opinion poll saying 80 percent of French voters want tighter borders.

Darmanin said he is even planning to scrap legal employment and family reunification migration into France.

"There would be some exceptions, for instance, for doctors, researchers and some students," he told French news channel LCI.