STORY
EU home affairs ministers are due to discuss the state of the Schengen area, the implementation of large-scale border IT systems and the progress of the migration pact when they meet later this week. The agenda includes the Entry/Exit System and ETIAS, both intended to strengthen the management of the EU’s external borders.
Ministers will also take stock of the migration pact and discuss the external dimension of migration. That is likely to include cooperation with non-EU countries, returns and efforts to reduce irregular migration before people reach EU territory.
The meeting comes as migration remains one of the most politically difficult issues in the Union. Governments are trying to make the new pact operational while avoiding fresh divisions between frontline states, destination countries and member states more sceptical of common EU action.