Plans to tighten rules on migration dominated the agenda as EU leaders headed into summit talks Thursday in Brussels that were set to crystallise a rightward shift in the bloc's rhetoric. Hard-right gains in several countries have translated into a harsher stance on migration across the bloc, with some governments pushing for reform only months after a long-negotiated deal was agreed on. "Migration will dominate our debates, (it) has already for quite a few weeks and months," EU parliament president Roberta Metsola said ahead of the talks.
"There is a desire to work on pragmatic solutions," Italy's hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told reporters on the eve of the gathering. Meloni hosted a mini-summit in Brussels just ahead of the main event to discuss a common approach to migration with like-minded countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands and Hungary. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen was also present.
Italy started sending some migrants to Albania this week as part of a deal with Tirana. Other EU capitals have shown a keen interest and von der Leyen has said the bloc will draw lessons from the scheme. Detected irregular border crossings into the European Union are down more than 40 percent this year after reaching the highest level in nearly a decade in 2023, according to EU border agency Frontex.
But migration remains "seen as a pressing and an urgent domestic issue" by many of the EU's 27 nations, said a senior EU diplomat. Germany -- which is part of the Schenge.