The EU has reached a historic agreement on how member states will deal with a sudden increase in the number of people seeking asylum in the event of war, natural disaster or climate emergency.
The new rules will allow frontline states to fast-track asylum applications and move people swiftly to other countries in Europe, avoiding a repeat of 2015 when 1 million refugees came to the EU from Syria and beyond, and some countries accepted far more than others.
The pact was sealed early on Wednesday morning, ending three years of arguments between member states just before 27 EU leaders gather in the Spanish city of Granada on Friday.
“It is a common step forward that #solidarity between member states is mandatory in the event of a crisis,” wrote Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, on X, formerly Twitter.
