Photo credit: supreme magazine
The European Commission is planning five-year asylum and migration strategy that doubles down on returns, tougher border controls and a possible review of th e EU agency for asylum, according to a document seen by Euractiv.
Euractiv reports that the commission is set to unveil the plan in February, alongside a new EU Visa Strategy, according to a recent Commission agenda. The timing marks a delay: both initiatives had originally been pencilled in for this month.
The strategy codifies a tougher migration line, broadly continuing the approach pursued by |EU executive since the start of the mandate.
A draft circulated to \EU capitals sets out six priorities: migration, diplomacy, strong EU borders, a fair, firm, and adaptable asylum and migration system, returns and readmission, legal pathways and labour mobility, and the strategic use of financial resources paired with enhanced operational support.
Beyond policy direction, institutional changes are also on the table. A 2026 evaluation of the EU agency for asylum’s mandate could be followed by a “positive amendment of its founding regulation,” the document reads:- opening the door to an expanded role for the agency. Other EU migration and security bodies are already moving towards mandate revisions, with changes to the powers of Frontex and Europol expected later this year.
