EU Presents 5-Year Strategy to Tackle Illegal Immigration, Overhaul Border Management

‘We must notably sustain the reduction in illegal arrivals,’ the EU Commission’s executive vice-president said.

The German federal police controls vehicles coming into Germany from Austria at the border control station Kiefersfelden, in Germany on May 9, 2025. Michaela Stache/AFP

The European Commission on Jan. 29 presented a five-year strategy that aims to curb illegal arrivals, overhaul border management, and increase deportations, while creating more legal pathways for skilled workers.

The European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy, outlined in Brussels, lays out political priorities for the bloc through 2030. This includes the prevention of illegal immigration and the dismantling of criminal smuggling networks.