“We are in the middle of a voting session. This Parliament and its members need to be able to vote with serenity,” Metsola said as protestors chanted.

The pact aims to shorten the time for asylum procedures and reduce immigration from the Middle East and Africa.

This new system would require the wider bloc to take in migrants who arrive mainly in “frontline” countries like Greece and Italy or provide extra resources instead.

However, this pact was condemned within the parliament, and civil society groups criticised the policy, warning of potential human rights implications.

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