After nearly a decade of deliberation, the European Parliament recently passed a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s asylum and migration rules with what is known as the “Migration Pact” which advocates say will lead to an increase in human rights abuses, including extreme exploitation.

According to Al Jazeera, prominent E.U. figures like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and E.U. Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson believe these reforms “will better protect our external border, the vulnerable and refugees, swiftly return those not eligible to stay, and introduce mandatory solidarity between member states.”

According to Freedom United partner, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), which represents almost 45 million workers in 39 countries across Europe, the pact “will inevitably lead to an increase in abuses of fundamental rights, illegal pushbacks, and returns to unsafe countries.”

The protestors decry

The passing of this pact has not been without pushback. Outside of the Brussels parliament building, demonstrators voiced their dissent, echoing concerns raised by over 160 migrant charities and NGOs, including Freedom United. Disruptions during the voting process highlight the intensity of the opposition.

Demonstrators were reported to be wearing a message on their shirts that read “This pact kills” while standing in the visitor’s gallery as members participated in a series of votes during a planetary session at the European Parliament in Brussels.

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