An EU migration chief has vowed the bloc will take control of its borders and bring the “European house into order”.
Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for internal affairs and migration, spoke of aiming to “prevent abuse” to EU systems as he unveiled a sweeping new strategy today aimed at cutting the number of illegal arrivals.
The EU’s five-year migration plan will centre around key objectives including to tackle criminal smuggling networks, protect people fleeing war and persecution and “attract talent” to help boost economies.
Mr Brunner, who began his role in late 2024, told The Times: “I don’t think it’s about left or right or extreme parties. It’s about getting it done, getting things right and listening to the voters, listening to the people in Europe.
“What they want and what they don’t want. They don’t want to have a system which is abused by people. And that’s exactly what we have to get right, bringing our European house into order.”
“We have to give people back the feeling that we are in control of our borders, and of who comes and who is allowed to stay,” he added.
The number of asylum seekers who arrived in the bloc peaked in 2015, at more than 1.2 million.
In 2024, around 124,000 non-EU citizens were refused entry at one of the EU’s external borders.
Magnus Brunner spoke of aiming to ‘prevent abuse’ to EU systems
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THIERRY MONASSE/GETTY
Of this total, 57 per cent were stopped at external land borders, 40 per cent at air borders and three per cent at sea borders, according to official figures.
Poland reported the largest number of refusals in 2024, equating to 17 per cent of the EU total, followed by Croatia at 14,000.
New measures announced by the EU today include the use of digitalisation and AI to help manage asylum and migration which it says will “enhance security” and improve the time taken to make decisions.
It also said it will assist countries “under migratory pressure” in order to achieve a “firm, fair and adaptable asylum and migration system”.
The number of asylum seekers who arrived in the EU peaked in 2015
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Brussels also revealed plans to improve how people without a right to say are returned to their origin country, including creating a “common system for return and improving readmission by third countries”.
Mr Brunner said: “Today, we put forward our vision for the future of the EU’s migration and asylum policy.
“The priority is clear: bringing illegal arrival numbers down and keeping them down.
“Abuse gives migration a bad name – it undermines public trust and ultimately takes away from our ability to provide protection and undercuts our drive to attract talent.
“In order to protect those who really need protection and to win the global race for the best minds, we have to control our borders effectively, limit illegal migration and prevent abuse of our systems.”
