The European Migration and Asylum Pact
The EU Migration and Asylum Pact is a timely opportunity for EU citizens and their Governments to consider the future of migration in this continent. This is much more than just considering the relatively limited numbers of asylum seekers (1 million last year) arriving in the EU compared to the total external inflows and outflows of migrants for economic, educational, family or other reasons (approximately 7 million per year). The total population of the EU is around 450 million. Migration is a factor in all human societies and with the advent of new means of communication and travel as well as globalised movement of capital and labour, Europe has seen a marked increase in migration both within its common external borders and across the external border. Common rules apply in relation to movement of EU or EEA (European Economic Area) citizens. Now, a short digression please. Ireland is in a unique position of sharing a land border with a non-EU member and, at the same time,