Today agreement on migrant pact possible - Johansson

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 28 - European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has expressed optimism that EU interior ministers will reach a final agreement on new rules for migration management within the bloc at a home affairs council meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
    "Progress has been made and I am optimistic that an agreement can be found today on the last tranche of the Migration Pact," Johansson told reporters before the start.
    "Afterwards we can begin the trialogues," she added, referring to the interinstitutional negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission for the adoption of EU legislation.
    "As with other chapters of the Pact there was tension at the beginning, but in the end we succeeded in managing" an agreement, said Johansson.
    Proposed by the European Commission in 2020, the New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to create a fairer, more efficient and more sustainable migration and asylum process for the European Union, with an emphasis on solidarity and responsibility sharing among member states.
    However, negotiations have been slow amid deep divisions within the bloc about how to proceed, with strong opposition especially from Hungary and Poland.
    On Wednesday European Parliament President Roberta Metsola expressed optimism that a breakthrough to end the deadlock could come this week or next. However, in a tweet on Wednesday Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reiterated his opposition to the Pact.
    "Brussels wants to make us swallow the failed migrant pact before the next European elections," Orban wrote on X.
    "While illegal migrants attack our policemen, Brussels wants to force us to let them in. Another crazy idea from the Brussels bubble. We will not allow it!" he added. (ANSA).