Commission proposes secret 2027 solidarity pool as EU relocations fall short
EU governments relocated fewer than 9,000 asylum seekers in 2026 against an agreed figure of 21,000, and the Council must now set each country's share by the end of next year.
The European Commission launched the second Annual Migration Management Cycle under the Pact on Migration and Asylum on 6 November and proposed a Solidarity Pool for 2027, in line with the Pact's rules, a proposal that is not public. It kept the proposal secret, and it now falls to the Council to set the pool's size and each country's share by the end of 2026.
The first round fell far short of its targets. In 2026, EU governments relocated fewer than 9,000 asylum seekers against an agreed reference figure of 21,000, according to Euronews. The Pact's solidarity rules say the pool must hold at least 30,000 relocations and €600 million in contributions, Euronews reports.
The European Annual Asylum and Migration Report 2026 carries the fourth assessment of how the Pact on Migration and Asylum is holding up. Commissioner Magnus Brunner, who leads the portfolio for internal affairs and migration, presented the 2027 proposal in Brussels on 6 November.
The package also sorted Member States into groups. The Commission flagged 15 member states as at risk of migratory pressure. The list runs from Belgium and Germany to Latvia and Finland, giving them priority access to the Permanent EU Migration Support Toolbox. Six others face significant migratory situations: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria and Poland. Their situations stem from cumulative migration effects over the past five years, so they can request full or partial deductions from their contributions.
Brunner sees results
Brunner said irregular arrivals in Italy have fallen by over 55 per cent, and the EU's new approach on migration is delivering substantial and consistent results. "We are implementing a key component of the Migration and Asylum Pact," he said.
That proposal now sits with the Council. The Commission said that once the Council adopts its decision, the members' solidarity contributions become public and legally binding.
Two governments have refused to join at all. The report found Hungary and Slovakia breached the rules by pledging nothing for 2026, with no infringement launched for now. An EU official told Euronews the system leaves no way out. "The system is mandatory. Last year, they did not pledge." "We are in contact with both member states to see how we can get respect of this dimension."
Fewer irregular crossings
According to the European Commission, irregular border crossings into the EU fell to about 178,000 in 2025 from around 380,000 in 2023, the lowest level since 2021. Provisional data show a 37 per cent drop in the first seven months of 2026. The Pact's rules let a country relocate asylum seekers, pay €20,000 per person not relocated, or fund operational support where pressure bites, Euronews reports.
A European source said that if the Commission concludes a Member State has systemic shortcomings, other Member States are not obliged to activate or implement the solidarity mechanism for that country. Its finding concerns complying with the Regulation on the management of asylum and migration. The same source said Italy certainly has access to the solidarity mechanism, but that the situation must be monitored. It must be taken into account in implementing the mechanism in the coming months.