The European Commission’s first Annual Asylum and Migration Report lists Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus as “under migratory pressure” in the EU.
A "disproportionate level" of migrant arrivals, including those rescued at sea, piqued the concern of these nations last year.
As a result, in 2026, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus will profit from the solidarity of other EU members, which may take the form of financial contributions or the relocation of asylum seekers across their borders.
In conjunction with this evaluation, the Commission suggested to the EU's 27 member states the Annual Solidarity Pool, a system for figuring out how many asylum seekers should be transferred overall and how much each nation should pay to compensate.
The proposal from the pool is not available to the public. EU member states will discuss it, and by the end of the year, they will determine each nation's size and solidarity share.
Each member state, with the exception of those under migratory pressure, is required to contribute proportionately to its total GDP and population. To address the needs specified in the solidarity pool, each state may choose to either relocate a specific number of asylum seekers to their own territory, pay €20,000 for each individual they choose not to relocate, or fund operational support in member states under migratory pressure.
The minimal size of the solidarity pool, which is fairly established at 30,000 relocations and €600 million in fiscal benefits, will be decided by a good maturity vote of EU nations.
Twelve countries are listed as" at threat of migrant pressure" in the Commission's report Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, and Finland.
In order to help disproportionate commitments in the forthcoming time, these nations will rethink their scores to offer solidarity to people who are under migrant pressure.
Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, and Poland have been distributed as" facing a significant migrant situation" as a third group of nations. They can request an exception from their quotas, which must be accepted by other member states and certified by the Commission, although they are still obligated to show solidarity.
The system of "mandatory solidarity" envisioned in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the significant reform of migration policy established in 2024, is based on the report and the solidarity pool.
The nation that requested the exemption is no longer required to admit asylum seekers or provide financial compensation if it is approved by the Commission and other member states. The other member states will not get a redistribution of that nation's share.
The Commission's report states that over the reporting period (July 2024-June 2025), unlawful border crossings decreased by 35%, indicating an improvement in the overall migration situation in the EU.
The Commission also takes into account the issues that the EU
still faces, including irregular arrivals, unauthorized migrant movements
inside the EU, and the weaponization of migration by Belarus and Russia.
Which EU states have pledged relocations versus payments?
Some countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands have
generally been more willing to accept relocations of shelter campaigners from
frontline countries. Other member countries, frequently in Eastern Europe
similar to Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, have tended to refuse relocation
proportions and prefer paying fiscal compensation rather.
The relocation scheme allows member countries to contribute either by directly shifting shelter campaigners or by paying€ 20,000 for each shelter candidate they don't dislocate. The precise final commitments for the coming phase in 2026 will be decided by a good maturity vote by the end of the current time, and the specific breakdown is still developing.
Still, it would offer clearer insight on which countries are contributing relocations versus payments, If detailed information on exact country commitments becomes available. This reflects ongoing divisions within the EU on burden sharing with migratory advents concentrated in southern European countries.