The EU Migration Pact: A Veil of Fake Compassion

So, here we are again. Another grand EU plan that’s less of a solution and more of a slow-motion disaster waiting to happen. This time, it’s the Migration Pact - officially called the "Pact on Migration and Asylum," entered into force on June 11, 2024, but the full application of its regulations will begin on June 12, 2026 after a two-year transition period.

Troubled Beginnings: From Merkel’s Gambit to the Migration Pact

You’ve probably heard it framed as some noble effort to share the burden of migration across Europe. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Let’s rewind to 2015. Angela Merkel declares "Wir schaffen das!" - "We can handle this!" - and just like that, the gates swing open. Over a million migrants pour into Europe. Human traffickers rake in cash, borders buckle, and the headlines are filled with both harrowing tragedies and spiraling chaos. Fast forward almost a decade, and instead of learning from those mistakes, the EU has come up with a system that’s as flawed as it is cynical.

Here’s the gist: every EU country now has a choice. Either take in migrants according to a set quota or cough up €20,000 per person you refuse. Imagine running a household where someone else decides how many guests you’re hosting for dinner. If you say no, you have to pay your neighbors to take them instead. That’s the EU’s idea of "solidarity."

But this isn’t about solving the migration crisis; it’s about papering over the cracks. The Migration Pact doesn’t stop people from making dangerous crossings or address why they’re coming in the first place. It just shuffles the burden around, like a bureaucratic game of hot potato. Countries like Italy, Spain, and Greece, which are already overwhelmed, will still be overwhelmed. Countries that have done the heavy lifting during the Ukraine refugee crisis - are now being told they’re not doing enough.

Poland’s Generosity vs. Brussels’ Pressure: A Broken Reward System

Let’s talk about Poland for a second. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland took in over 5 million refugees in a year, with no quotas, no fines. Just humanity and logistics. And they pulled it off without the social upheaval we’ve seen elsewhere. But what’s their reward? Criticism from Brussels for not being on board with this new scheme. Here’s the real issue: this isn’t about helping migrants or creating fairness. It’s about the EU elites pushing their vision of a borderless Europe, no matter the cost. They dress it up in the language of compassion, but there’s nothing compassionate about enabling the same broken systems that exploit vulnerable people and create chaos in the countries they arrive in.

Many of the 2015 Bataclan Paris attackers entered Europe posing as refugees during the migrant crisis. Anis Amri, a Tunisian asylum seeker, drove a truck into a 2016 Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 people. Rakhmat Akilov, an Uzbek asylum seeker, killed five in another truck attack in Stockholm the following year. Many such cases have occurred. Of course the majority of these migrants are not blood thirsty jihadis. But the correlation between mass migration and the increase in crime is undeniable. Take a look at the streets of Paris, the outskirts of Brussels, or parts of Malmö. No-go zones, rising crime, and communities struggling to cope. Are we seriously going to pretend that more of the same policies will magically make these problems go away?

The first part of solving this problem will have to be an admission from the European Commission that their commodification of migrants comes from their own cynical attempts to deny that some migrants are more desirable than others.

And don’t get me started on the €20,000 fines. That’s not solidarity—it’s extortion. If a country like Italy, Hungary or Bulgaria decides it can’t handle the strain, they’re punished for it. Meanwhile, smugglers keep their lucrative business running, and the migrants themselves remain pawns in this grim political game.

Forced Solidarity Isn’t Real Solidarity: Europe’s Need for a Smarter Path

Here’s the bottom line: Europe needs to get real about migration. That means secure borders, deals with transit countries to stop dangerous crossings, and a clear distinction between genuine refugees and economic migrants. It’s not about closing the doors; it’s about opening them responsibly. The Migration Pact, as it stands, is destined to fail. Just like the mandatory quotas a few years ago, which fell apart because even the supporters didn’t follow through. The EU can keep pretending this is about unity, but voters aren’t buying it anymore.

So, what happens next? Either Brussels listens to the growing discontent from its member states and charts a smarter course, or this Pact becomes yet another reason people lose faith in the European project. Because when solidarity is forced, it stops being solidarity. And when borders don’t work, neither does Europe.

Alexandra Audrey Tompson

Legal Journalist