Mykolas Romeris university (MRU), together with international partners, held an international conference on April 23–24, 2026 titled “EU Migration and Asylum Pact – Legal and Political Aspects of Implementation Preparations.” The new European Union (EU) Migration and Asylum Pact (hereinafter – the Pact), adopted in June 2026, introduces a far-reaching reform. Although the Pact will soon begin to be implemented, many challenges and open questions remain. The conference reviewed Lithuania’s level of preparedness for the Pact’s implementation, highlighted remaining challenges, and discussed possible solutions.
“The academic community of Mykolas Romeris University continuously contributes to providing a scientific basis for ongoing reforms, enhancing professional qualifications, and fostering public debate on migration and asylum issues. The upcoming implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact will require joint efforts from all European countries. I am pleased that our academics collaborate at the European level, as this will help better assess the complexity of these issues and possible solutions,” said MRU Vice-Rector for Research Eglė Malinauskienė.
The event featured opening remarks by Martynas Dobrovolskis, Vice Minister of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania, who emphasized the challenges related to regional security, irregular migration, and the rule of law, as well as the importance of coordinated action at the EU level. In his welcome address, the advisor to the Minister of the Interior, Mantas Svečulis, highlighted the particular importance of the Migration and Asylum Pact for all EU Member States.
“We are at an important turning point in asylum and migration policy. For the first time in the history of EU cooperation, a comprehensive and integrated approach to migration, asylum, border management, and integration has been adopted. This reform also strengthens the security of the EU’s external borders by introducing mandatory border procedures for all Member States,” said M. Svečulis.
According to him, these changes will help reduce abuse of the asylum system by individuals who do not require international protection, while allowing greater focus on those who genuinely need it. He also emphasized another key achievement—the establishment of a permanent and flexible solidarity mechanism. Based on its experience in managing migration crises, Lithuania understands the importance of solidarity.
The conference placed significant emphasis on new and important directions in migration and asylum law, particularly those related to new concepts emerging from recent policy and legal reforms. Academics and practitioners shared insights on how new border procedures will be implemented, including the legal fiction of “non-entry into the territory,” new provisions on the instrumentalization of migrants and other emergency situations, as well as proposed solutions related to the concept of safe third countries and new return mechanisms.
Conference speakers acknowledged that both Member States and EU institutions have significantly changed their approaches to addressing migration and asylum issues in Europe, leading to a transformative impact on the development of EU migration and asylum law. At the policy level, what is observed is not a crisis of numbers but a crisis of narratives, as migrants account for only about 10% and asylum seekers for just 1.7% of the total EU population. Nevertheless, migration and asylum remain key topics on the political agenda.
Discussions also addressed whether the use of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), will ensure the implementation of the principle of good administration or create new challenges. Many AI systems used in this field are not public, their algorithms are not always explainable, and they still produce a significant number of errors. Conference participants emphasized that the measures предусмотренные in the Pact must be implemented in line with international human rights standards and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and discussed how to maintain an appropriate balance between security and human rights.
The conference organizer, Professor Lyra Jakulevičienė of the MRU Law School, noted that “it is particularly important that not only EU countries implementing the Pact were represented at the conference, but also representatives from other parts of the world affected by its implementation, as well as partner countries that will be involved in delivering joint solutions. Such dialogue can help ensure that the adopted solutions are sustainable.”
The conference brought together academics and practitioners from around the world to share insights, engage in discussions, and examine the latest trends in EU asylum and migration law and policy. Speakers represented Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Greece, India, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Nigeria, Germany, and Ukraine. On the second day, doctoral students from abroad presented their research findings.
The conference was organized as part of the Mykolas Romeris University Competence Centre project “Reconciling new concepts of migration and asylum law with human rights standards in contemporary Europe (RENECO).” The project is funded by the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania.
