According to Al Jazeera, the European Parliament on Wednesday adopted a historic revision to the EU’s refugee and immigration laws.

According to the report, the major political factions in the parliament defeated resistance from far-right and far-left parties to enact the new migration and asylum treaty, a comprehensive reform that had been in the works for almost ten years.

On Wednesday, ten votes were cast by European parliamentarians endorsing the laws and directives that comprise the Asylum and Migration Pact.

According to Al Jazeera, the reforms tackle the issues of who should be in charge of migrants and asylum seekers when they arrive and whether or not other EU nations should be required to assist.

The parliament president, Roberta Metsola, shared on Wednesday that “History made” after the

The new regulations represent a “historic, indispensable step” for the EU, according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Ylva Johansson, the commissioner for home affairs for the European Union, stated that the union “will be able to better protect our external borders, the vulnerable and refugees, swiftly return those not eligible to stay” and implement “mandatory solidarity” among participant nations.

Nonetheless, the story states that hundreds of protestors voiced their opposition to the decision outside the Brussels Parliament building, echoing the concerns of over 160 non-governmental groups and migrant charities.

Al Jazeera also stated that, as a further indication of the strong resistance, demonstrators in the public gallery disrupted the beginning of the voting process by shouting, “This pact kills – vote no!” until the chamber was called to order. All EU member states are required by law to take

The package’s most contentious element entails setting up border facilities within the EU to accept asylum seekers, screen them, and promptly return those who are determined to be eligible.

Malin Bjork, a Swedish lawmaker, claimed that the agreement does not address “any of the questions it was set to solve”.

She claimed that because the reform package will expand on existing arrangements for some EU nations to process refugees abroad, it “undermines the individual right to seek asylum” in Europe. One such agreement was reached between Italy and Albania. The Left led by Bjork voted against the agreement.

Far-right politicians reportedly protested that the changes did not go far enough to prevent entry for undocumented migrants, according to Al Jazeera.