German parliament approves legislation easing deportations of rejected asylum seekers
PBS NewsHourJan 29
EU Narrowly Passes Pact on Migration and Asylum
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The Facts
The European Union on Wednesday voted on a controversial set of reforms regarding migration and asylum rules as the 27-nation bloc's parliament passed the Pact on Migration and Asylum in a series of 10 votes.
EU states had been working to approve the pact since 2015 when Europe’s migrant crisis exploded due to 1.3M refugees fleeing from Syria and Iraq. Over the last nine years, there has been fierce debate over the EU's migration policy and responsibilities.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is a major step toward solving problems related to migration and asylum, and the EU should be proud it came to a compromise despite those on the extremes attempting to undermine an agreement. The EU has prioritized common sense and compassion in a way that will improve Europe’s immigration system for years to come.
Establishment-critical narrative
The EU continues to ignore the will of its people when it comes to mass migration. Both sides of the political aisle are fed up with Brussels' out-of-touch approach to dealing with an issue that's fundamentally and permanently damaging Europe. Europe has a major migration issue that must be addressed at a deep level.
