We are the European Commission’s department (DG HOME) in charge of migration and home affairs.
Our work covers the following policy areas:
The New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was proposed in September 2020 and agreed between the European Parliament and the Council in December 2023, is a set of regulations and policies to create a fairer, efficient, and more sustainable migration and asylum process for the European Union.
DG HOME oversees the EU’s internal security policy as part of the Security Union Strategy 2020-2025. The aim is to build a safer Europe by fighting terrorism and organised crime, by promoting police cooperation and preparing for rapid crisis responses. Our actions in these areas include stricter rules against illicit trafficking of firearms and on trafficking in human beings, as well as revision of legislation on combating child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Our role is to protect the EU external borders and maintain the Schengen Area which is an area without internal borders, in which EU citizens and many non-EU nationals (staying legally in the EU) can freely move around without being subjected to border checks.
In our policies, we promote dialogue and cooperation with non-EU countries so that we can work in partnership and tackle common challenges. Our external action contributes to the strengthening of the EU’s position as a reliable, active and pragmatic global player, while ensuring the effectiveness of our policies. We also manage EU financing instruments that support concrete actions in the field of home affairs.