Source: European Parliament
The EU’s Eastern border neighbouring Russia and Belarus is being subjected to tactics of hybrid warfare, exercising pressure by weaponising migration, undermining the security of the EU. Member States have a responsibility to protect the external borders, in line with EU and international law.
On 11 December 2024, the Commission adopted a communication on countering hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration[1], setting out the legal context in which exceptional measures can be taken to tackle this threat, including as arising from case-law, and in full compliance with EU and international law.
To complete the set of legislative reforms undertaken with the Pact on Migration and Asylum[2], t he Commission works with Member States to pursue EU level responses to common challenges related to irregular migration.
For instance, in November 2023, the Commission launched a Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and proposed to strengthen the EU legal framework against migrant smuggling with two legal instruments[3].
The Commission has presented a proposal for a new Regulation on a common approach on the return of irregular migrants[4], to increase the efficiency of the return process by providing Member States with clear, simplified and uniform rules for managing returns.
- [1] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on countering hybrid threats from the weaponisation of migration and strengthening security at the EU’s external borders, COM/2024/570 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0570
- [2] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en
- [3] Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down minimum rules to prevent and counter the facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and stay in the Union, and replacing Council Directive 2002/90/EC and Council Framework Decision 2002/946 JHA, COM(2023) 755 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2023:755:FIN; and Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on enhancing police cooperation in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, and on enhancing Europol’s support to preventing and combating such crimes and amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794, COM(2023) 754 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52023PC0754
- [4] Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common system for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the Union, and repealing Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, Council Directive 2001/40/EC and Council Decision 2004/191/EC, COM(2025) 101 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025PC0101