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Overview of the plenary session
On June 12, 2026, the Pact on Migration and Asylum will enter into force. With the Pact, the European Union (EU) aims to reform European asylum and migration policy. Nine new EU regulations and one new EU directive have been adopted. For the National Ombudsman / IOI European Regional President, Reinier van Zutphen, a reason to organize an informal meeting where participants could exchange their experience so far with the implementation of the Migration Pact.
There were 40 participants from 20 countries and the conference started with a visit to the Fenix museum in Rotterdam the day before the conference. The museum showcases the migratory nature of humankind in the past and present all over the world. The conference was organised in a neighbourhood in Rotterdam where a lot of migrants had lived and the place where we came together contained many stories of migrants.
The goal of the meeting was to explore whether it is possible to make a joint inventory of the consequences of the Migration Pact for ombuds institutions and to identify important topics that maybe could be part of a shared agenda. It soon became apparent that there were many more questions being raised than solutions offered.
Five topics were selected to be further discussed: border procedure and detention, Reception, Monitoring including the independent monitoring mechanisms, Children under the Migration Pact and Return. These topics were introduced among others by the Greek Ombudsman, Andreas Pottakis, Ombudsman of Estonia, Ülle Madisen and EP member for the Greens and professor on citizenship and migration law, Tineke Strik.
Following these presentations, open table discussions were held in the Polder Shop format, at which participants could freely discuss their expectations of the Pact and their experiences with their respective governments regarding the implementation of the regulations and directive so far. Some key takeaways: the border procedure and detention provisions in the Pact are seen as tools to lower protection standards. Standards in general remain below what ombuds institutions consider adequate. The independent monitoring mechanism is not yet in place anywhere, and in many cases it is unclear which institution will take on this task. Some ombuds institutions that already carry multiple responsibilities will face an additional burden. The position of children throughout the Pact requires close monitoring by children's ombuds institutions, as certain provisions appear to allow governmental actions that are incompatible with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Regarding returns, it remains unclear whether these will be adequately organised, let alone what the situation surrounding the external processing hubs will be.
The Pact and its implementation have consequences for ombuds institutions. Since they are all confronted with the same regulations and directive, this development should be used as an opportunity to build a closer working relationship on the topic. The IOI European Region has therefore established a working group on migration within the European Region, consisting of experts from ombuds institutions. This group can help strengthen insight and expertise on the topic and may also support efforts to inform the EU of ombuds institutions' findings. It is clear that the discussion will continue — we will keep you posted on developments.
Source: Office of the National Ombudsman of the Netherlands and Regional President of the IOI's European Region
