Europeans finally cut a migration deal

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags are seen outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels April 12, 2006.
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags are seen outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels April 12, 2006.
REUTERS

After seven years of negotiation, the EU on Wednesday hammered out a migration policy deal that redefines how EU members are expected to share the responsibilities and costs of absorbing refugees.

The details haven’t been made public, and the text must still be ratified by the European Parliament and all member states, but the new rules are expected to tighten border controls and allow for longer detention of migrants who enter illegally.

The deal comes as rising post-pandemic levels of migration from North Africa and the Middle East, coming on top of millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, have put migration policy atop the EU agenda again. From January to November 2023, Europe registered a 17% surge in irregular arrivals over the same period last year. The current levels have not been seen since the late stages of the Syria-driven migrant crisis in 2016.

The deal has been lauded by political leaders across the union, but rights groups warn that tighter borders could have grave humanitarian consequences. Amnesty International says the pact “will set European asylum law back for decades to come and lead to greater human suffering.”

More from GZERO Media

Stephen Graham, winner of Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Best Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Owen Cooper, Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and Erin Doherty, Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, for "Adolescence", Best Limited or Anthology Series pose with their awards at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 14, 2025.
REUTERS/Daniel Cole

8: Netflix teen murder series "Adolescence" won eight Emmys including for best limited series. Supporting actor Owen Cooper,15, became the youngest male actor to win an Emmy.

Senior U.S. and Chinese led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang meet to discuss trade and economic issues and TikTok, in Madrid, Spain, September 14, 2025.
United States Treasury/Handout via Reuters.

In an announcement teeming with viral potential, the White House said the US and China have outlined a deal for TikTok to continue operating in the US.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 27, 2025.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

As US President Donald Trump travels to the United Kingdom this week, there is an unnerving sense in which the ghost of Christmas past will be greeting the potential ghost of Christmas yet to come.

A combination photo shows a person of interest in the fatal shooting of U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, U.S. shown in security footage released by the Utah Department of Public Safety on September 11, 2025.
Utah Department of Public Safety/Handout via REUTERS