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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaEU approves major overhaul of migration rulesPublished2 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFPImage caption, Last year saw the highest number of irregular migrants arriving in the EU since 2016By Laura GozziBBC NewsAfter years of negotiations, the European Parliament has approved a major reform of the EU’s migration and asylum rules.The EU Asylum and Migration Pact has been in the works since 2015. It will come into force in two years’ time.It is designed to speed up the asylum process and boost the return of irregular migrants to home countries. It will also require EU member states to share responsibility for asylum seekers. Last year saw some 380,000 people illegally crossing the EU’s borders – the highest number since 2016.The EU said the pact combined “mandatory solidarity” between member states with flexibility. Although some EU states remain opposed to parts of the agreement, it is expected to receive full approval at the end of April under majority voting.Under the proposed rules, the EU’s 27 countries will be required to either take in thousands of migrants from “frontline” countries, such as Greece and Italy, or provide extra funding or resources instead. The agreement also aims to deal with asylum requests within a maximum of 12 weeks. In case of rejection, asylum seekers would have to be returned forcibly to their home country within the same period.Migrants will be subject to a toughened pre-entry screening procedure within seven days, which would include identification and health and security checks.Biometric data for any migrant aged six or older will be collected and there will be a mechanism to respond to sudden increases in arrivals.The migration pact has been backed by the two main political groups – the centre-right European People’s Party Group (EPP Group) and the centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D).Both groups are trying to fend off a strong challenge from the right in parliamentary elections in June.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised a “historic, indispensable step” and Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, said it struck a “balance between solidarity and responsibility”.Although many MEPs welcomed the result, several also noted that the agreement was not “perfect”.”It is a compromise we can work with,” said Slovenian MEP Matjaz Nemec, while Belgium’s Hilde Vautmans said the legislation was “not perfect” but that she had voted for it nonetheless.However, left-wing and far-right groups opposed the agreement.And many NGOs also urged MEPs to vote down the reform, with Amnesty International warning the pact would lead to a “surge in suffering” for asylum seekers. At one point, protesters disrupted the vote, chanting “this pact kills, vote No” and throwing paper planes.In a statement, the group Choose Love, which funds grassroots refugee charities warned that children fleeing conflict could be put in jail and families escaping persecution could be violently pushed back under the new pact.Related TopicsEuropean UnionMigrationTop StoriesLive. 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[ad_1] The new rules are designed to make EU states share responsibility for hosting asylum seekers.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaEU backs law against forced labour in supply chainsPublished21 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Human rights campaigners wanted the EU law to go further in tackling forced labourBy Kathryn ArmstrongBBC NewsEuropean Union countries have agreed to a law requiring companies to ensure their supply chains do not cause environmental damage or use forced labour. A majority of 17 out of the 27 members backed the legislation on Friday and there were no votes against it. The agreement came only after substantial changes were made to the original text. Critics argue that the law has now been diluted too much to be effective.The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) will mean European companies have to document that products they import adhere to environmental and human rights standards, such as not involving child labour. They will also be required to prevent or minimise potential harm and to communicate their findings. However, compromises made following weeks of negotiations on the draft text mean only larger businesses that have 1,000 employees or more and which have a net turnover of at least €450m (£384m; $489m) will be affected. The original proposal was for it to affect firms with 500 employees or more and with a revenue of €150m. The draft legislation must be approved by the European Parliament to become law – and MEPs are expected to back it. Businesses will then be given time to implement the new practices. Friday’s approval of the draft legislation comes after the bloc failed twice in February to get it approved. Among the countries that objected to the original text were Germany and Italy, which feared it would hit their industries harder due to their high numbers of small and medium businesses. There were also concerns that companies would remove themselves from the EU due to bureaucracy and legal risks. Markus Beyrer, Director General of lobby group BusinessEurope, said the new rules would add “unparalleled obligations, set harsh sanctions with potential existential implications for companies, and unilaterally expose them to litigation from all parts of the world”. “European companies with global operations, some with millions of indirect relationships, will be put at a disadvantage compared to their global competitors,” Mr Beyrer added. Environmental and human rights campaigners welcomed the move to improve firms’ accountability, but voiced disappointment with the draft law.According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), almost 70% of European companies have been removed from the new obligations due to the changes to the draft text.”This spineless deal completely disregards the needs of both companies and communities to effectively tackle the impacts of climate change,” said Uku Lilleväli, a WWF spokesperson.Oxfam’s Economic Justice lead Marc-Olivier Herman said “they slashed the rules to appease big business, dealing a blow to Europe’s self-claimed standing as a champion of democracy and human rights”.Campaign group Anti-Slavery International wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that it was “very happy to see that the [European] Council has been able to come together and uphold this commitment, prioritising people and planet over political and business interests”. But it added: “While today’s developments are very positive, we know that the quality of the law has been eroded by these post-agreement challenges.”Related TopicsEnvironmentEuropean UnionMore on this storyFrom Poland to Spain, farmers ramp up protestsPublished9 FebruaryHottest February marks ninth new monthly recordPublished7 MarchEU to delay tariffs on UK electric cars until 2027Published6 December 2023Top StoriesAid reaches shore in Gaza after first sea deliveryPublished4 hours agoWales’ next first minister set to be announcedPublished3 hours agoSecret Ukrainian school in Russian-occupied territoryPublished2 hours agoFeatures’Tory PM ousting plot’ and ‘Gran’s death row wait’Trying to stay alive in a town tormented by drugs, alcohol and suicideFive Champions League match-ups to look forward toAttributionSportWeekly quiz: Which exclusive Oscars club did Emma Stone join?Battle between West Bank farmers divides Israel and US Listen: Putin’s Russia: An election without democracy? 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