Asylum and Migration policy has been at the forefront of the EU agenda as negotiations have commenced on some key aspects of the new Asylum and Migration Pact. Since the proposal was tabled, in September 2020, considerable progress has been made, although discussions at the recent European Council Meeting were inconclusive. The desire for a rational fact-based approach to the topic can only be achieved by building on a spirit of trust and cooperation between Member States. It has reinforced the belief that the scale and scope of migration management in the EU is best addressed collectively, rather than at Member State by Member State level.

In her address to the IIEA as part of the Global Europe project, which is supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson outlines the progress made on migration policy, the crises and challenges to overcome, the outreach to third country partners, and on the type of debate needed to continue to make progress if the Pact is to be agreed before the European Elections in June 2024.

About the Speaker:

Ylva Johansson was appointed European Commissioner for Home Affairs in December 2019. She previously served as Minister for Employment in the Swedish Government from 2014 to 2019, Minister for Welfare and Elderly Healthcare from 2004 to 2006 and Minister for Schools from 1994 to 1998. Ms. Johansson was educated at Lund University and the Stockholm Institute of Education.