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Survivors sit on a vessel after a boat carrying migrants ran into trouble off the coast of the eastern Aegean Sea island of Samos, on Monday, Sept 23,. [AP\/Michael Svarnias]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
On December 3, a panel of esteemed scholars and migration experts came together at The Demos Center of the American College of Greece to discuss the potential impacts of the 2024 European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum, especially on \u201cfrontline\u201d countries like Greece, with a focus on the challenges of asylum-seeker flows and the evolving role of EU solidarity. Created to address the question of shared responsibility in dealing with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers across the European Union, the pact has garnered diverging reactions surrounding its effectiveness in addressing migration challenges given the new framework and its consequences on the ground. The panel discussion brought a holistic overview of concerns and hopes for the new EU migration pact, which is to be implemented in the next two years.<\/p>\n
Moderating this event was Paige Arthur, director of global programming at Columbia Global. The three panelists included Kristin Fabbe, a professor at the European University Institute, Nikolaos Lampas, an assistant professor at The American College of Greece, and Sofia Kouvelaki, CEO of The Home Project. The discussion covered four different themes: migration and the movement of people, climate and the environment, technology and innovation, and classics and the arts; so, these panelists, each with their varying expertise in specified disciplines, enriched the discussion and the emerging field of knowledge surrounding this legislative development. Considering the complexity of the pact, the panelists excelled in simplifying its language and structure for all to understand, particularly in order to wholly discuss its implications and reception.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, what is the 2024 EU Pact on Migration and Asylum?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a legal framework seeking to harmonize internal quarrels about the proper management of migrants \u2013 the panelists described it as a \u201cfraught solution\u201d of compromises and agreements in \u201cneutral EU language.\u201d It holds 10 building blocks to manage irregular entrances at external borders, termed \u201cfrontlines.\u201d The pact requires that EU countries implement and abide by a heavy IT system to track and register arrivals, where this screening system must be uniform alongside the sharing of this data among member-states. The pact mandates an adequate standard of living upon the reception of migrants as well as fair and efficient asylum procedures, including those of return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In this sense, it aims for the effective and stable sharing of responsibilities among member-states to encourage solidarity. Furthermore, it establishes advanced levels of preparedness through general contingency plans, seeking to remedy issues regarding the resettlement, inclusion and integration of migrants.<\/p>\n
The panelists emphasized that the \u201cmost dangerous part\u201d of the pact\u2019s implementation is how unclear it remains. Perceived as demanding, and thus unfeasible, member-countries may refuse to implement certain aspects of the pact, or may likewise lack the resources and infrastructure to do so. Moreover, Kouvelaki pointed to the threat to human rights that closing certain passages may impose upon migrants, particularly vulnerable unaccompanied children, as they must undertake more perilous journeys. On this note, and in further discussing how the pact may lead to the emergence of human rights abuses, the panelists acknowledged that it does hold human rights protections but likely more \u201cin theory\u201d than not. Mistrust about the sanctity of human rights upon the implementation of the pact is not unusual for the pact is still surrounded by looming unclarity.<\/p>\n
As the floor was opened to questions from the audience at the end of the discussion, someone inquired about the burning uncertainty of whether the pact was destined to survive. In response, Fabbe noted that it was more likely to evolve by its date of application in 2026, sharing a sense of hope that it could finally address the seemingly eternal concerns about borders, fairness, and the continued preservation of the EU.<\/p>\n
Natalia Rodriguez is an intern for Kathimerini English Edition, and a third-year student at the University of Notre Dame, currently studying abroad in Greece with the College Year in Athens program.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n