Ireland succeeds Poland at the helm of the Council and will be followed by Lithuania. Together, the three countries form the current Presidency Trio, working on the basis of a common 18-month programme while each Presidency sets its own priorities. Under the Irish Presidency, the Justice and Home Affairs Council will focus on advancing a fair, firm and rules-based approach to migration, asylum and returns, while also strengthening Europe's internal security and upholding fundamental rights.

In the area of asylum and migration, the Irish Presidency has identified several key priorities:

• supporting the effective implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum and monitoring its application;
• progressing negotiations on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Regulation and the Border Management and Visa Regulation as part of the Multiannual Financial Framework discussions;
• establishing the 2027 Solidarity Pool under the Pact;
• advancing work on the new EU return framework and preparing discussions on the digitalisation of return procedures;
• strengthening cooperation with third countries, including through the external dimension of migration and strategic partnerships along key migration routes;
• supporting legal migration pathways, notably through initiatives such as the EU Talent Partnerships and the EU Talent Pool;
• continuing coordination on the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive and preparing a coordinated approach for the future conclusion of temporary protection for people displaced from Ukraine;
• reinforcing the Schengen area by advancing work on Schengen governance, the EU Visa Strategy and the EU Digital Travel application.

The Irish Presidency will also prioritise measures to strengthen border security, combat migrant smuggling and serious organised crime, and reinforce cooperation between Member States and EU agencies. 

Further information on the Irish Presidency's programme is available on the website of the Presidency.