President of the European Commission said that the executive he heads is committed to implementing, from next year, the Pact on Migration and Asylum
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned the European Council this Wednesday about the growth of the “instrumentalization of migration”, considering that it is harming the security of the European Union (EU).
According to a letter addressed to the presidents and prime ministers representing the 27 EU countries in the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen said that “it is not possible to simply look at the increasingly pressing challenges of the instrumentalization of migration”.
“They are a challenge for our external borders and undermine the internal security of the European Union”, added the president of the community executive, promising the support of the European Commission to help each Member State “to overcome these threats”.
In recent years, the European Union has denounced that countries such as Russia and Belarus “instrumentalize migrants” to create pressure on the external borders of the European community bloc.
To this end, Ursula von der Leyen recalled that the European Commission will make 250 million euros available for the acquisition of drones (remotely piloted aircraft) and other surveillance and border patrol instruments.
The president of the European Commission said that the executive she heads is committed to implementing, starting next year, the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
At the beginning of 2026, Ursula von der Leyen committed to presenting the EU Strategy for Migration and Asylum: “Our aim will be to strengthen our cohesion at European level, seek innovative paths and be assertive in our regional and global roles in cooperation on migration, including in the context of the European Council.”
Ursula von der Leyen summarized the work done at EU level and in particular at the European Commission with regard to migration.
Recently, recalled the president of the European community executive, the Pact for the Mediterranean was signed, which essentially reinforces cooperation between EU countries bathed by this sea and external countries that also have borders with the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean is the main migration route.
“Returns”, a matter on which Member States have not yet fully agreed, worry the President of the European Commission: “With an average return of 24%, a stronger legal framework is needed, complemented by intensified operational measures.”
Ursula von der Leyen said that it is necessary to “create a new legal basis” to return people who have been refused the possibility of staying in one of the 27 countries of the European political-economic bloc to their countries of origin.
Migration is a topic discussed in practically all European Council meetings.
The last leaders’ summit of 2025 will take place between Thursday and Friday, in Brussels, and will be chaired by the Portuguese António Costa.
