Before the European Migration and Asylum Pact can be hailed as a breakthrough, it must first prove that it can work.

After years of tortuous negotiations, the European Union has finally agreed on a common framework intended to govern how its member states deal with irregular migration and asylum seekers. The very fact that 27 countries, with vastly different political priorities and experiences of migration, managed to reach an agreement is significant in itself. It represents an acknowledgement that migration is not a problem that can be addressed by individual states acting alone.

But signing a pact is one thing. Implementing it effectively, consistently and humanely is quite another.

The European Commission itself has admitted that no member state is fully prepared for the pact's implementation. Border infrastructure remains incomplete. Databases need to be upgraded. Independent monitoring mechanisms still have to be established. In other words, the framework exists on paper, but the practical realities needed to give it life are lagging behind.

The danger is that Europe congratulates itself prematurely.

The migration debate has too often been characterised by grand declarations followed by half-hearted execution. Previous systems failed precisely because the burden was unevenly distributed and because member states interpreted obligations according to political convenience. The result was confusion, resentment and growing mistrust among both governments and citizens.

One of the most important aspects of the new pact is its attempt to address that imbalance through a solidarity mechanism. It is here that Malta's experience becomes particularly relevant.

For years, Malta repeatedly argued that countries situated on Europe's southern frontier could not be expected to shoulder disproportionate responsibility simply because geography placed them closest to migration routes. When arrivals to Malta were considerably higher than they are today, successive governments appealed for burden sharing, insisting that migration was not merely a Maltese problem but a European one.

Too often, those appeals fell on deaf ears.

Northern states benefited from the principle that asylum applications should generally be handled by the first country of arrival, while frontline states struggled with limited resources and capacities. The rhetoric of European solidarity was frequently absent when it mattered most.

The new pact suggests that attitudes may finally be evolving. There now appears to be a broader acceptance that Mediterranean countries require assistance and that responsibility must be shared. Other member states will be expected either to relocate asylum seekers or contribute financially to help those facing greater pressures.

That principle deserves recognition.

However, solidarity cannot remain an abstract concept inserted into legal texts. It must function during moments of crisis, not disappear when domestic political pressures mount. Implementation, therefore, will be the true test of Europe's commitment.

Equally important is the need to preserve humanity within the system.

The pact seeks to accelerate procedures, speed up returns and tighten border controls. States have legitimate interests in managing migration effectively, ensuring security and maintaining public confidence in asylum systems. But efficiency must never come at the expense of fairness.

Behind every application is a human being. Some will not qualify for protection and should return to their countries of origin through lawful procedures. Others will have fled war, persecution or circumstances that genuinely warrant international protection. They deserve a fair hearing, access to due process and treatment that respects their dignity.

The criticism voiced by human rights organisations should not simply be dismissed. Faster procedures must not become rushed procedures. Border management must not become prolonged detention without adequate safeguards. Europe cannot defend human rights abroad while compromising them at its own frontiers.

Whether the pact succeeds will depend not on signatures, ceremonies or declarations of intent, but on the willingness of member states to honour both the letter and the spirit of the agreement.

Europe has reached an agreement. Now it must demonstrate that it possesses the resolve, the solidarity and the humanity to make it work.