The reform came into focus after the 2015 refugee crisis and reflects an ambition within the EU to move from temporary crisis management to a permanent framework.
The biggest change, according to Liselotte Ingesson Politis, section head at the Swedish Migration Board, is the so-called screening of asylum seekers.
When applicants come to Sweden, or are found in Sweden, the police authority is responsible for identifying who the individual is, based on identity and security checks, she says.
Common database
The regions then carry out a safety and health check.
Several actors will be involved in this screening process that has not existed before.
The reform will begin to be applied in all 27 member states on Friday, June 12, 2026. The adaptation of Swedish law to the pact was first voted through in the Riksdag on June 9, and is expected to come into effect on July 12, 2026.
For example, the police authority does not consider that it has the authority to start screening asylum seekers until July 12, says Per Löwenberg, head of the migration law unit at the Swedish Migration Board, calling it a "legal trick."
Once the Swedish police start screening, this means that all asylum seekers over the age of six will have to provide fingerprints that are stored in a common database.
More "efficient"
The screening must be carried out seven days after the individual is found, and is considered to lead to a more "efficient" procedure.
If an individual has an asylum process underway in another country, we will find out when we meet this person and can record the person's biometrics, says Jesper Ingvert, head of implementation in Police Region South.
According to Ingvert, with the current system, it can take several weeks to get a response from other EU countries. When the new system is in place, he expects it to take about 45 minutes.
It is efficient for the police authority, but also provides asylum seekers with a response much faster.
Reformed system
After the screening, it is decided which procedure the applicant will be considered in. The asylum procedure is similar to today's examination, where grounds for asylum are examined within six months. Those who are not considered to have their application approved must live in accommodation close to the border and be available for examination.
Another change is the form of accommodation. In the future, asylum seekers will mainly live in collective accommodation at reception and return centres.
New centers with asylum screening will be located in Malmö, Mölndal, Märsta and Boden.
The EU's Migration and Asylum Pact is a comprehensive reform in the area of migration within the EU that is regulated in ten legal acts.
The decision on the pact was made in May 2024 after many years of negotiations on a common asylum system at the EU level.
It applies in all 27 EU countries from 12 June 2026.
Adaptation of Swedish law applies from July 12, 2026. A new reception law will apply from October 1, 2026.
According to the Swedish Migration Board, the pact can be divided into four areas: asylum border procedure, asylum procedure, reception and detention, and division of responsibilities within the EU.
The new rules will, among other things, govern how the asylum process in the EU will proceed, how migrants will be checked at the border and what member states will do if a large number of migrants come to the EU at the same time.
Source: Swedish Migration Board
