Nicosia, Cyprus. The European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum formally entered into force on Friday, with Cyprus and the European Commission describing the move as a historic milestone for the bloc’s migration system. Officials said the pact marks the shift from negotiation to implementation.
Implementation begins
Speaking after an informal ministerial conference in Nicosia, Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides said the pact marked the transition from years of negotiations to practical implementation.
He said Europe was moving from agreement to action and described the pact as opening a new chapter of common responsibility, practical solidarity and shared determination in managing migration.
Conference in Nicosia
The conference brought together EU migration ministers, European Commission officials, agencies and international organisations to assess member states’ readiness for implementation.
Commission assessment
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner described the pact as the first comprehensive European migration framework.
He said that 10 years earlier the union had taken on significant responsibility without having rules or a system in place.
Migration trends
Brunner said migration pressures on Europe had already eased significantly. He cited a 55 per cent decline in irregular arrivals over the past two years, a 90 per cent reduction along the Western Balkans route and a 67 per cent decrease on the route from Turkey to the Greek islands during the first four months of 2026.
He attributed the decline to a combination of migration reforms, external partnerships and increased stability in some regions.