Making the Pact work: Investing in reception and integration

As the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum comes into force today, it marks an important moment for Europe’s migration policy. So far, however, political debate and financial investment have focused largely on border control, screening, and returns, while far less emphasis has been placed on how people are received and supported in practice once they arrive. If the Pact is to be implemented in a humane and effective way, this imbalance must be addressed.

In this context, the Reception Conditions Directive is a central pillar of the Pact’s implementation. It sets out minimum standards to ensure dignified living conditions and support longer-term inclusion in European societies.

Red Cross experience from across Europe shows that timely access to services, healthcare, language learning, and employment opportunities is not only essential for people’s dignity and autonomy but also enables faster participation in local economies while reducing longer-term social and fiscal costs. The revised Directive strengthens these foundations, including improved access to the labour market, stronger support for people in situations of vulnerability, and more provisions on healthcare, training and integration measures from the first stages of arrival. 

However, progress remains uneven. Many Member States have yet to fully transpose the Directive into national law, and significant gaps persist across reception systems in practice. Without stronger political commitment and adequate resourcing, the Directive will not be implemented to its full potential, limiting its ability to support people in rebuilding their lives and to deliver the social and economic benefits of inclusion for the EU. 

Effective reception means creating safe, small-scale, community-based environments where people can access essential services and engage with local communities from the outset. 

In the Netherlands, the Nieuwe Buurthuis brings together municipalities and civil society to design and operationalise reception centres that prioritise privacy, mental well-being, and connection with local residents, demonstrating how investment in dignified reception can achieve humane and durable outcomes for residents and the community. In Belgium, the Red Cross Hello Belgium orientation programme equips people with knowledge to navigate administrative systems, access services, and enter the labour market, with a majority of participants going on to engage with employment services or further training. These approaches show that investing in a strong start accelerates inclusion, strengthens social cohesion, and supports lasting benefits for both individuals and communities.

Europe is facing significant demographic change, with an ageing population and declining birth rates reshaping labour markets and social systems. At the same time, in many countries public services are under increasing strain due to a range of structural factors, including years of underinvestment in social protection, housing and healthcare. Against this backdrop, the way reception systems are designed and resourced will shape the resilience of societies as a whole. 

How people are received and treated also speaks directly to the values Europe seeks to uphold. Behind policy frameworks and systems are individuals seeking safety, stability and a chance to move forward with their lives. Ensuring dignified reception and investing in integration is a matter of sound policy and a reflection of a shared commitment to humanity.

As the Pact is implemented, equal political attention and adequate financial investment must be directed towards reception and access to opportunities. This includes a people-centred implementation of the Reception Conditions Directive and sustained resourcing in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. It is an investment in Europe’s social and economic future. Without it, the Pact will not deliver the conditions needed for people to participate or for communities to remain cohesive and inclusive.