The Conceptual Foundations of the EU Migration Policy and Its Modern Transformation: Trends in the Legislation of the Confederation

The article delves into the analysis of the conceptual institutional and legal foundations of migration policy in the European Union. Following the events of the “Arab Spring”, European countries became a focal point for millions of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. The European system proved unable to accommo-date and integrate such a large number of immigrants, who significantly differ from Europeans in cultural and religious aspects. Furthermore, the existing migration framework in the EU was prepared to accept and inte-grate only a limited number of migrants, providing them with high social benefits and allowances. The influx of refugees overwhelmed the system and necessitated radical reforms, which were initiated belatedly in 2015. It was only in 2024 that the European Commission reached an agreement on the “New Pact on Migration and Asylum”, which will enter into force in 2026. However, the new document appears to be poorly coordinated and is unlikely to fully resolve the myriad migration challenges faced by the EU. Consequently, European countries have been compelled to seek individual solutions, creating migration reception hubs outside of the EU. Ulti-mately, the issue of migration within the EU remains unresolved, with attempts at resolution frequently trans-gressing legal boundaries and resulting in widespread violations of refugee rights.