Nearly two weeks after the European Parliament’s vote on a new immigration pact, opinions on the issue remain sharply divided. The new legislation aims to consolidate migration policy and fortify border controls across the EU’s external boundaries. However, it also introduces what’s termed “mandatory solidarity between states,” whereby countries declining to accept immigrants will face fines of up to 20,000 euro per immigrant.
According to analyst Charles-Henri Gallois, France could face an annual cost of 2 billion euro. Mr. Gallois contends that the pact fosters waves of illegal immigration by dictating immigrant distribution among member states. The legislation also expedites asylum procedures, with the potential to further increase immigrant inflow.
