The European Union Pact on migration and asylum applies mandatorily from Friday, introducing quotas for refugees and strict border controls.

The European Union Pact on migration and asylum will come into force on Friday, after a 12-month transition period. It tightens asylum rules, imposing mandatory border controls and simplified procedures, but also introduces a "solidarity" mechanism with mandatory refugee quotas for member states. States that refuse to accept migrants will pay a contribution of 20,000 euros for each refused migrant.

Key measures include the rapid identification of illegal migrants and a semi-rapid 12-week procedure for examining asylum applications. The pact also aims to support countries most affected by migration, such as Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus. Additionally, a technological framework will be implemented to secure external borders, including digital systems for biometric identification of travelers. The concept of "instrumentalization" will allow states affected by geopolitical challenges to apply strict border controls.