European Commission launches first annual migration management cycle

TALLINN - The European Commission has launched the first annual migration management cycle, an important step in the implementation of the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum.

As part of this cycle, the Commission provides a comprehensive overview of the asylum and migration situation in the EU, assesses the migration situation in each member state, and proposes the creation of an annual solidarity pool, the final version of which must be adopted by the Council of the European Union. The Pact will be implemented starting from June 2026.

The EU's first annual Asylum and Migration Report provides a thorough overview of the asylum, migration, and reception situation in the EU and highlights potential trends and changes for the coming year. Data shows a steady improvement in the migration situation between July 2024 and June 2025. The number of illegal border crossings decreased by 35 percent, partly due to enhanced cooperation with partner countries.

However, challenges remain, including the arrival and movement of irregular migrants within the EU, the reception of refugees from Ukraine, the weaponization of migration on the borders with Russia and Belarus, and insufficient cooperation on return and readmission.

While member states are successfully preparing to implement their national asylum, reception, and migration systems in June 2026, the pace of reforms should be accelerated.

Based on the information and evidence from the report, the Commission finds that the migration situation and pressure vary significantly among member states. Greece and Cyprus are under migratory pressure due to a disproportionately high number of arrivals over the past year. Spain and Italy are also under migratory pressure following search and rescue operations at sea during the same period. Therefore, these four member states are entitled to support from the solidarity pool for member states under migratory pressure, which can be accessed from mid-2026 when the Pact on Migration begins to apply.

Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Finland are at risk of migratory pressure due to the high number of arrivals last year, continued pressure on reception systems, or the threat of the weaponization of migration, which could lead to a disproportionate burden in the coming year. These countries have priority access to the EU's permanent migration support instrument, and their situation will be reassessed on an expedited basis depending on how circumstances evolve. To help member states cope with hybrid threats and increasing drone attacks, the Commission will soon launch a 250 million euro procurement procedure to support the acquisition of drone and anti-drone capabilities.

The migration situation in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, and Poland is particularly challenging due to cumulative pressure over the last five years. These countries can request a full or partial deduction from their contributions to the solidarity pool from the Council in the coming year.

To maintain the balance between solidarity and responsibility, the Pact on Migration ensures that member states contributing to the solidarity pool will not be required to fulfill solidarity obligations towards a member state under migratory pressure if the Commission has identified systemic deficiencies in that member state regarding the new responsibility rules. The Commission will assess this situation in July 2026 and again in October 2026.

The Commission has also proposed the establishment of the first solidarity pool to cover the needs of member states under migratory pressure. In accordance with the Pact's rules, this proposal is not public.

The Council must now adopt the Commission's proposal and agree on the size of the solidarity pool and how each member state will contribute. Once the Council has adopted the decision on the solidarity pool, the solidarity measures of the member states will be public and legally binding.

Member states are free to choose the form of their solidarity contribution, which may include the relocation of migrants or offsetting responsibility, financial support, alternative measures, or a combination thereof.

The EU's annual Asylum and Migration Report is based on information provided by member states, the EU's statistical office (Eurostat), EU agencies, and the European External Action Service.