Nicosia: The Pact on Migration and Asylum has applied in every member state since 12 June 2026, and attention has turned to the separate rules on returning people who have no right to stay. The Commission announced the start of application on 11 June, and Commissioner Magnus Brunner joined an informal ministerial conference hosted by the Cypriot Presidency in Nicosia the next day.

The Commission’s statement lists the main elements of the Pact on Migration and Asylum. They include mandatory registration and security checks, border procedures, shorter time limits for asylum decisions, EU-wide reception standards, a permanent mandatory solidarity mechanism and an independent monitoring mechanism during screening and the border procedure. The Commission also said the Entry-Exit System is rolled out and fully applied, and it reported a 55% drop in illegal border crossings compared with two years earlier.

Returns form the second half of the story. The Commission page links to a new regulation for a Common European System for Returns. An article by DevelopmentAid, written before the June start date, says the European Parliament approved the regulation in March 2026 with 389 votes in favour. It does not mention a Council position, so readers should check the Official Journal for the final status.

The same article says the regulation would make return decisions directly binding and uniform, so that a single return order could be enforced in 29 states of the Schengen Area through the Schengen Information System. That claim comes from one source and the Commission page does not confirm it. The article also says the rules would prioritise forced return over voluntary departure and shorten appeal deadlines to as little as five days.

Figures explain the push. Citing Eurostat, the article says that in 2024 roughly half of almost one million undocumented migrants were ordered to leave, yet only 24.3% actually did. Governments argue that the Pact on Migration and Asylum cannot work unless return decisions are carried out.

Critics disagree. Amnesty International’s European office has warned about the human rights impact, and the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner has voiced concern. The article adds that the regulation remains subject to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The coming months will test whether the Pact on Migration and Asylum delivers faster procedures and fair treatment at once. Watch for national implementing measures, the first solidarity decisions and any court challenges to the return rules. Border authorities, courts and reception centres will carry most of the practical load, and their readiness will show quickly whether the new system holds together.