Remarks by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner Brunner on the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy and the EU Visa Strategy

Executive Vice-President Virkkunen

Good afternoon, everybody. The College has today adopted two major proposals: the Strategy on Asylum and Migration Management and the EU Visa Strategy.

Let me start by thanking the Commissioner for all his very good work and for our very close cooperation in putting this important strategy together.

This strategy sets out a clear five-year political blueprint on migration.

The strategy builds on a strong foundation we have in place.

First, the Pact on Migration and Asylum. Its full implementation as from June is an utmost priority.

Second, we are building on operational work with our Member States and a comprehensive approach pursued with partner countries outside the EU. And we see the results: A clear decrease in illegal arrivals while continuing to provide protection to millions of refugees.

On this basis, we are setting out our new way forward: A balanced migration policy.

We work towards three equally important and self-supporting objectives: preventing illegal migration, protecting those in need of protection, and attracting the talent Europe needs.

With this we ensure that Europe's interests are safeguarded while staying true to our values, in a changing geopolitical context.

On illegal migration, we will continue to deliver. This also means more returns, and staying alert as regards the weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus. This is about the credibility of our system. Citizens expect Europe to fight abuse, manage migration and deliver concrete solutions.

How we manage this will shape public confidence.

What we need is a paradigm shift. Europe faces serious skills and labour shortages. Addressing them is key for our economic growth and our competitiveness.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Mobility with India is very good news. I'll be in India next month for the AI Summit and, together with Magnus, we will kick off the important work ahead on the Legal gateway office, starting with the ICT skills. 

We will continue working closely with other key partner countries. With practical, operational tools we will serve our economy and also help manage migration, restoring control and confidence.

This brings me to the next point the College has adopted today: the visa strategy.

The point of this strategy is simple: our visa policy needs to reflect today's realities: major geopolitical shifts, global competition, and evolving security challenges.

The EU must use all its tools to defend its interests while staying true to its values. Visa policy is one of the key tools, at the intersection of security, diplomacy, and competitiveness.

That's why we are proposing the first-ever comprehensive EU visa strategy: to use visas in a more strategic, coordinated, and assertive way.

We are focusing on three objectives: security, competitiveness, and Europe's role as a reliable partner in the world. The strategy was developed closely with Member States, respecting shared competences while encouraging common solutions that are essential for our unity.

On security, the approach is about being prepared, while remaining open. We need clarity and predictability for trusted partners. And stronger tools to address abuse and respond to threats. The example of Russia shows why this matters. We need to have the tools to act united at EU level.

On competitiveness, we need to support businesses with practical measures and facilitations in the visa process. Such as a common list of trusted companies for faster processing.

And we need to attract talent – this is a must for our economic growth and competitiveness. We will recommend how to cut red tape and use the flexibilities we have, we will provide them with operational support, and also simplify and improve the legal framework in the future.

We need to notably assess the feasibility of a targeted, very fast EU-visa scheme for start-ups and scale-ups.

Finally, the strategy pushes for a fully digital, more efficient visa policy, with ETIAS this year and full digitalisation by 2028.

In conclusion, as for the migration strategy the key is to strike the right balance: being assertive, defending Europe's interests, and at the same time staying true to our values.

Thank you, Magnus will now continue with details.

Commissioner Brunner

2025 was the year Europe showed we can deliver on migration.

Illegal border crossings are down 55% in the two last years.

Asylum applications are down by 21%.

We delivered on all our legislative promises. We do what we say we will do.

And we are on track to deliver this year.

We are bringing our European house in order: with strong and secure external borders, more effective returns, and a strong legal framework that rapidly responds to challenges.

These are the results of our joint efforts: with the Member States, but also with non-EU partners.

It is time to consolidate this and use the momentum to write a new chapter on migration and asylum. The time is right for us to launch a new strategic approach.

With today's twin strategies, we are setting a new course for who can come, who can stay, and who must leave the EU.

Commissioner Virkkunen already outlined the core elements of the Asylum and Migration strategy, so let me focus on what is new:

This is the first time we present a comprehensive strategy that gives priority to reducing illegal migration.

In the past, we were forced to manage multiple crises, especially after 2015. These challenges compelled us to put our house in order.

That is what ultimately made it possible to reach agreement on the Pact.

And now, we have a new priority: to bring illegal arrivals to a minimum, and to keep them there.

It is the first time that we put this in plain language.

This will give us the political space and public support to offer protection to those who need it and attract the talent we need.

The result of this shift in the order of priorities means that we need to put cooperation with partner countries at the heart of what we do.

And this is the second big novelty: migration diplomacy. We need a new way of working to bring illegal arrivals down.

We need to focus on what is happening beyond the EU's external borders, acting along the migratory routes, long before people go on dangerous journeys.

We need to be assertive, and promote our interest, without shying away from politically complex situations.

At the same time, we remain true to our values.

And we will cooperate with Member States and international organisations (like UNHCR, IOM).

We have seen that this approach works. Now, we need to go further.

This brings me to the third novelty: using our tools.

It is unthinkable to achieve anything on migration acting alone. Migration is linked to many other policies. So we need to work together and use all tools and leverages we have.

We have upgraded our toolbox in the last year, it includes visa, trade, funding, and also talent attraction and mobility: this is an area with great opportunities for us and our partners.

Finally, we need to be more strategic and use our levers better than we have ever done before. Our success depends on the good cooperation of the Commission, the Member States and the European Parliament.

So that we control who can come to the EU, who can stay, and who must leave it again.

Of course, we will continue working on our house. The Pact is not new. But it will bring a lot of new things (border procedure, screening, solidarity).

However, to address the challenges Member States face, we need to constantly evolve. The safe country of origin list, safe third country concept, return hubs are all things we need to explore and use.

But also about the use of new technologies, which can help so much in making procedures more efficient and reduce administrative burden.

We are also delivering on an area where our Union still faces a lot of challenges: in making the EU more competitive.

The race for the best minds has never favored Europe as much as it has now. Which is why we are working to attract talent, eg the Legal Gateway Office we will open in India, but also swifter procedures.

There is one area, where I am not bringing news to you. It is on our commitment to upholding fundamental rights and EU values.

This is exactly what distinguishes us from other parts of the world, and we must claim this as an achievement, not a burden.

More than ever, we have to do things the European way.

This takes me to the second strategy for today: our first ever EU Visa Strategy.

Europe is the most visited destination in the world. 40% of all international travelers come to Europe. Our Member States issue 10 million visas every year. And more than 60 countries have visa-free access to the EU.

This makes our visa policy a very powerful tool. A tool that should serve our interests. And this strategy sets out how we will do that.

Henna has already outlined the main priorities of the strategy: to make visa policy work for our security, for our prosperity and competitiveness.

Let me give you a few examples of the key innovations we are proposing to achieve that.

Visa-free travel to the EU is a privilege, not a given. It comes with responsibilities — and now we will make those responsibilities crystal clear. Think of it like a traffic light.

To earn the green light, third countries must meet objective criteria, such as low visa refusal rates and high return rates. Only then can visa-free travel be granted.

But earning the green light is not the end of the story. We will maintain a continuous dialogue to ensure these criteria are respected over time.

And if a country fails to meet its obligations, the light turns red — and visa-free travel can be suspended without hesitation.

For countries whose citizens need visas to enter the EU, we will strengthen our leverage by linking visa conditions more closely to our interests.

We will improve our current system on readmission, so the EU can act faster against partners who refuse to take back their own nationals who have no right to stay in the EU.

We will also go beyond readmission, connecting visa rules to cooperation on other priorities, like border protection, security, and fighting illegal migration.

Turning the page to the next chapter also means staying connected with the world to strengthen Europe's competitiveness.

Travel for tourism and business is a big part of that: it generates double-digit GDP contributions in some Member States and creates tens of millions of jobs across the EU.

Travellers expect a smooth experience. Digitalisation will be a game-changer.

ETIAS will transform travel for visa-free visitors starting later this year.

By 2028, fully digital visa procedures will make travel easier for those who need a visa.

We will also explore longer multi-entry visas for frequent travellers and faster processing for trusted companies.

Winning the global race for talent means having a modern, fast, and smart visa system. Talent goes where the process is simple and predictable.

That's why, alongside the visa strategy, we are recommending ways for Member States to better attract and retain students, researchers, skilled professionals, and innovative entrepreneurs.

In short, this package is a moment to show we are in control, assertive, and steering our policy toward both more security and more competitiveness.