EU's new Common European Asylum System takes effect

BRUSSELS — The European Union's revised Common European Asylum System (CEAS) came into force on Friday, introducing the bloc's most extensive overhaul of asylum rules in decades. The reform tightens controls at the EU's external borders, establishes new reception centers and strengthens the sharing of responsibility and solidarity among member states. EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said the changes are designed to address Europe's loss of control over migration and asylum processing during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis. The European Commission adopted the legislative package in May 2024, with implementation set to begin gradually through June 2026. The regulations are intended to speed up and standardize asylum application procedures across the bloc and distribute the burden more evenly among Mediterranean entry countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain. No further details on initial implementation were immediately available.