Article d'actualité

FRA discusses fundamental rights monitoring under EU Migration Pact

On 26 November, FRA presented best practices on independent monitoring mechanisms under the Pact on Migration and Asylum during a meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA). The Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU invited FRA to speak.

FRA’s intervention was part of a broader agenda item on the implementation of the Pact. FRA informed Member States of its work in relation to monitoring under the pact, including its support to national statutory human rights bodies. 

FRA is working on common monitoring methodologies which should promote coherence in monitoring across Member States. FRA’s 2024 guidance, which is now available in nine language versions, is widely used across the EU. 

As a promising practices, most EU Member States consider designating existing statutory human rights bodies for the monitoring under the Pact. In case multiple bodies are involved, having a lead actor among them is particularly important for efficiency and accountability purposes. 

Funding of monitoring activities remains a challenge. Ombuds institutions may not access EU funding for this purpose, as nationally such funding is typically administered by the same Ministry of body entrusted with border or asylum management. 

The European Network of National Human Rights Institutions expressed concerns relating to EU funding for monitoring activities and independence under the UN Paris Principles. FRA considers that the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework should envisage the possibility for monitoring entities to receive EU funds directly from the European Commission.