EU admits it ‘didn’t have control’ on migration as bloc rushes crackdown ahead of new rules
The European Union is moving to tighten migration controls after years of struggling to deport most migrants ordered to leave, with a top official saying the bloc is now working...
By Fox News · Fox News
The European Union is moving to tighten migration controls after years of struggling to deport most migrants ordered to leave, with a top official saying the bloc is now working to "get control back" ahead of sweeping new asylum rules set to take effect in June. European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said deportations have increased and new border screening systems are identifying potential security threats, part of a broader effort to address gaps in enforcement that have drawn criticism from the United States and fueled political pressure across Europe. "Ten years ago, we didn't have a system. We didn't have control over what is happening and who would come into the European Union and who would have to leave again," Brunner told reporters Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "And that's why the member states agreed on the pact for asylum and migration. And now that's what we want to get back. We want to get control back." The shift comes after years of criticism from Washington, where President Donald Trump has warned migration is "destroying" Europe and called the situation a "horrible invasion." EUROPEAN NATIONS DEMAND POWER TO DEPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO COMMIT CRIMES Brunner said return rates have improved in recent years — from roughly one in five to nearly 30% — but acknowledged the system has struggled to keep pace. Data from Eurostat shows that only about one-quarter to one-third of migrants ordered to leave the EU are actually returned, meaning most remain in Europe. The EU’s long-debated migration and asylum pact, set to take effect in June, is designed to close that gap by accelerating asylum decisions, shifting more processing to the bloc’s external borders, and expanding return mechanisms. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also has criticized mass migration and so-called "open borders" policies, while Vice President JD Vance has warned Europe risks "civilizational suicide" if it fails to regain control of its borders. Vance has…