Texts on Eurodac and screening regulations approved. On 22 June 2022, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) adopted Council negotiating mandates on the Eurodac and screening regulations. Both proposals are part of the Pact on Migration and Asylum presented in 2020. The Eurodac database contains the fingerprints of irregular migrants and asylum applicants who have been registered in EU Member States and associated countries, whereas the screening regulation focuses on controls on persons at the external borders. The Council press release states that the texts agreed would facilitate tackling irregular movements and the return of people in an irregular situation, and provide that screening at the external borders will apply to all persons who do not fulfil the conditions for entry.

Ukraine in the focus. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to a reconstruction plan for Ukraine in her speech at the World Economic Forum on 24 May 2022 – a reference some have termed a Marshall Plan for Ukraine. The platform would serve to map investment needs and coordinate relief efforts after the war with Russia in the short, mid-, and long-term.

Additional steps were taken to protect those fleeing the war. On 31 May 2022, the European Commission launched an EU platform for the registration beneficiaries of temporary protection, to facilitate the exchange of information between Member States and register people in real time, and to grant refugees fleeing Ukraine effective access to their rights and benefits, as well as address the issue of multiple registrations and limit possible abuse. On 9 June 2022, the Council adopted conclusions on the EU strategy on the rights of child, focusing on protecting their rights in situations of crisis or emergency. As a result of the war in Ukraine, the Council has given specific attention to the need to protect children from recruitment by armed forces, illegal adoption, trafficking in human beings, sexual exploitation, and family separation

Updated guidance on Afghanistan. With the aim to harmonise approaches across Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) released updated ‘Country Guidance’ for Afghan applicants on 20 April 2022, to assist national authorities in deciding who qualifies for international protection.

Actions against human trafficking. ‘Upholding victims’ rights and strengthening assistance’ was the title of the high-level conference of 4 April 2022, held by the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings. The provision of comprehensive assistance, durable solutions, and (re)-integration of victims were at the heart of the agenda.

On 11 May 2022, the EU Solidarity Platform presented a Common Anti-Trafficking Plan to address the risks of trafficking in human beings and potential victims. This was one of the goals of the 10-Point Action Plan established for stronger European coordination on welcoming people fleeing the war against Ukraine.