EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss tightening border controls and making the bloc less welcoming to migrants, reflecting a shift from the 2015 migration crisis. Recent actions include Poland's proposal to suspend asylum rights and Italy's processing centers in Albania. Despite rising anti-immigration sentiments, unauthorized migration has declined this year.

European Union leaders arrived in Brussels on Thursday, October 17, for a summit focused on strategies to make the bloc less welcoming to migrants and asylum seekers in response to a recent increase in support for anti-migration parties. As the summit commenced, the 27 EU leaders were set to discuss plans aimed at accelerating initiatives to expel unwanted migrants from the EU and to process asylum applications well outside the bloc's borders.

The current discussions reflect a significant shift from the circumstances of 2015, when the EU faced a major migration crisis. During that time, over a million migrants and refugees sought assistance, primarily from the Middle East and Afghanistan. At that point, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key figure in EU leadership, famously stated, “We can manage that.” In contrast, today’s EU leaders are intent on tightening and managing their borders more rigorously than ever before.

Recent actions by member states indicate a collective movement toward stricter migration controls. Poland has expressed intentions to temporarily suspend the right to asylum, while Italy has established two centers in Albania for processing asylum seekers outside its borders. Germany has also reinstated border controls, with all these measures reflecting a unified direction toward limiting immigration.

The rise of extreme right-wing parties in the EU parliamentary elections in June, along with similar trends in polls in Germany and Austria, has made migration a contentious issue for political leaders.

On Wednesday, October 16, an Italian navy ship arrived at the port of Shengjin in Albania carrying the first group of 16 migrants who were intercepted in international waters for processing. This move is part of a five-year agreement signed in November by Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, allowing for the shelter of up to 3,000 migrants per month, picked up by the Italian coast guard, in Albania. These migrants will undergo initial screenings aboard the rescue ships before being sent to Albania for further evaluation.

Despite the heightened political rhetoric, instances of unauthorized migration to the EU dropped significantly in the first eight months of the year. This decline occurred amid increasing violence directed at migrants and the rising influence of far-right anti-immigration groups.