"It was a marathon, I am very proud," European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said on the eve of the European Parliament's final vote on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum which she has sponsored.

Johansson staunchly believed in the measure when nobody else did. And she is sure the new rules will "reduce irregular arrivals" in countries of first entry, like Italy, and "increase repatriations".

The commissioner thinks the pact will work both in protecting borders and in safeguarding people and their rights. This is why, she said, "there are political forces" vying to sabotage it because they want migration to remain "a toxic theme to exploit".

If EP doesn't approve the entire measure, pact could fail, says commissioner

During the interview on April 9, one day before the measure was approved by Parliament, Johansson said: "The pact on migration is a package, not only politically but also technically, everything is connected: if Parliament doesn't approve all the legislative tassels that compose it, it could fail," she stressed.

"But I don't think this will happen. It would be hard to explain to European citizens, shortly before the election, the reason for a no vote after such a long road," she added.

Johansson also doesn't think that the rise of the far-right, according to polls, could hamper the implementation of reforms once they have been approved.

Indeed, the guidelines for implementation, scheduled in September, will instead be published by the EU executive in June, in order to give the 27 members more time to present national implementation plans.

The transition will last two years and the Commission will assist "each member State", also evaluating the correct financial measures connected to the package. And those who will not comply in the end will have to face the "infringement procedure," she noted.

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Necessary measures for problems that still need to be tackled

The approval of the plan will certainly not magically solve problems, observed Johansson. "Migration will always be with us, according to forecasts," warned the Swedish commissioner.

Reforms need to be accompanied by other measures, in particular on the external front, stipulating agreements with third countries of origin and transit, she said.

"We have to limit departures and build legal migration pathways under national responsibility, although I hope it will be possible to act more with a 'Team Europe' approach. It will also be crucial to confront human traffickers who are strong and organized - courage will be necessary," she continued.

The mechanism devised to stem crises, which provides for a quota of 30,000 relocations and 600 million euros in aid, is aimed at not "departing from zero" and reassuring countries.

We have to limit departures and build legal migration pathways under national responsibility, although I hope it will be possible to act more with a 'Team Europe' approach.

Johansson noted that the pact wants to reassure countries of the Commission's support, that "nobody is alone anymore". Naturally, the future is uncertain, she noted.

"The pact can't predict how the world will evolve: the coup in Niger concerns me very much, it could bring more migrants through dangerous pathways," she warned. But in the meantime, rules are being established.

"I believe European citizens want people who flee war and persecution to be helped", she commented. "Moreover, we are an aging society, we need legal migration. But those who don't have a right to stay must be repatriated," she concluded.

Also read: More than half of Europeans disapprove of EU migration policy