COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS State of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum
Date: 2026-05-08
Institutions: Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU migration policy, activity report, biometrics, external border of the EU, integration of migrants, international protection, migration control, return migration, right of asylum

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 8.5.2026  COM(2026) 196 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS State of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

The Pact on Migration and Asylum1 is a key step in the development of a comprehensive 
approach  to  migration,  asylum,  border  management  and  integration.  It  provides  a  solid 
foundation for a fair, firm and more effective way of managing migration and asylum in the 
Union, by ensuring a balanced system of solidarity and responsibility. After a transition period 
of two years following its entry into force, the Pact will start fully applying on 12 June 2026, 
marking the beginning of a new phase in European migration management. Extensive work 
has  been  undertaken  to  get  the  EU  and  the  national  systems  ready.  Based  on  the  Common 
Implementation  Plan2,  Member  States,  the  Commission  and  the  EU  agencies  have  been 
working closely together to ensure that the new legislative framework is being translated into 
an operational reality to effectively govern migration management within the Union, ensure 
preparedness and resilience amidst the increasingly complex geopolitical context, and set the 
balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility.  

This Communication sets out the state of play of the implementation of the Pact, focusing on 
progress since November 20253 and identifying key areas for further action ahead of Pact’s 
entry into application in June. This third update responds to the requirement4 under the Asylum 
and Migration Management Regulation to regularly inform the European Parliament and the 
Council on the progress made in the implementation of the Pact.  

The  Pact  overhauls  Europe’s  migration and  asylum  framework. It  demands  significant 
legal and operational transformation together with sustained political commitment. The two-
year transition period reflects the scale and complexity of this set of reforms: a system built on 
ten  interlinked  legislative  acts,  each  requiring  coordinated  and  integrated  implementation 
across  national  authorities,  EU  institutions  and  agencies,  as  well  as  adaptation  of  domestic 
laws, administrative procedures, and operational protocols.  

Overall, considerable progress has been made over the last years in implementing this large 
and complex framework. In particular, as of May 2026, many Member States are on track to 
adapt their national legislation, to set up and organise the mandatory screening and the border 
procedures, including to establish independent monitoring mechanisms, and to reach sufficient 
reception  capacity.  A  number  of  Member  States  have  also  taken  important  steps  to  reduce 
backlogs  and  delays  in  asylum  procedures,  including  by  increasing  capacity  and  providing 
adequate training, while concluding efforts to provide legal counselling and align with the work 
of  the  judicial  systems.  Member  States  have  also  advanced  in  reinforcing  their  capacity  to 
ensure they can effectively process responsibility transfers to the Member State responsible for 
an asylum application and implement solidarity pledges. 

1 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum/legislative-files-
nutshell_en. 
2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52024DC0251&qid=1776165824453. 
3 First Report on the State of Play of the Implementation of Pact, 
 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0319&qid=1776165712928; 
second report: Annex I to COM/2025/795 final. 
4 Article 84 (3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 
on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and 
repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013. 

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In addition, significant steps have been taken also to further operationalise, strengthen and 
complement  the  Pact  framework.  These  include  the  adoption  of  the  first  Solidarity  Pool 
under the annual migration management cycle5, currently being operationalised with the EU 
Solidarity  Coordinator  facilitating  interaction  and  cooperation  among  Member  States  to 
achieve a balanced and effective implementation; the adoption of the implementing Regulation 
on the application of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation6 to advance on the 
reform of the Dublin rules; or the completion of the strategic programming of the EUR 3 billion 
in  EU  funds  to  support  the  implementation  of  the  Pact  and  hosting  displaced  persons  from 
Ukraine7. Furthermore, the amended rules on safe third countries and the first EU list of safe 
countries of origin entered into force, and negotiations are ongoing on the proposal for a Return 
Regulation8 to swiftly reach an agreement on the missing piece of the Pact. 

At the same time, further efforts are needed to close the remaining gaps. Readiness across 
Member States varies, as they face different challenges. It is urgent that Member States take 
all necessary measures to further deliver on all building blocks, focussing primarily on the most 
important components. In particular, Member States must ensure that the adaptation of their 
national legislation is completed on time; that the core functionalities of Eurodac9, the central 
biometric database supporting the Pact, are tested and fully put in place; and that procurement 
processes and construction of facilities in the identified locations for screening and the border 
procedures  are  accelerated.  In  that  respect,  Member  States  need  to  ensure  the  timely 
establishment of their  adequate  capacity for  screening  and  the border procedures, including 
measures  to  effectively  prevent  absconding  and  secondary  movements,  and  scale  up 
cooperation  with  third  countries  on  readmission  of  people  subject  to  the  return  border 
procedure. Furthermore, the preparatory steps for the effective application of the responsibility 
rules and for transfers must speed up and the new legal safeguards and guarantees be put in 
place on time, including the fundamental rights monitoring mechanism. Meanwhile the work 
on the operationalisation of the solidarity mechanism continues. 

Alongside  the  implementation  of  the  Pact,  the  comprehensive  approach  to  asylum  and 
migration management and our sustained efforts on migration diplomacy with third countries 
is already delivering strong results. Illegal border crossings at the EU’s external borders fell 
by 26% in 2025 compared to 2024. The number of persons detected trying to cross the border 
illegally is at the lowest level since 2021. All this is the result of policy changes by the Union 
and  the  Member  States,  growing  alignment  among  Member  States,  and  strengthened 
cooperation with partner countries along key migration routes. 

5 Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2642 of 19 December 2025 on the establishment of the Annual 
Solidarity Pool for 2026. 
6 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2055 of 2 October 2025 laying down rules for the 
application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards asylum 
and migration management and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 1560/2003. 
7 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/european-commission-provides-additional-eur-3-billion-support-
migration-and-asylum-management-2025-05-12_en.  
8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025PC0101. 
9 Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on the 
establishment of ‘Eurodac’ for the comparison of biometric data. 

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Building on this dynamic, the European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy10 sets 
out the objectives for the years ahead: preventing illegal migration and breaking the business 
model of criminal smuggling networks, protecting people fleeing war and persecution while 
preventing abuse of the asylum system, and encouraging talent to come to the Union to boost 
the competitiveness of our economy. Ensuring a firm, fair and effective asylum and migration 
management system based on the Pact and which is able to adapt and respond to geopolitical 
developments, will continue being a priority.  

To that end, the Commission calls on all Member States to further intensify their efforts 
for a timely implementation of the Pact. While doing so, it is important that Member States 
engage  with  and  involve  local  and  regional  authorities,  social  partners,  civil  society 
organisations and other stakeholders, making use of all resources available at EU and national 
level. The Commission remains in contact with the Member States to address the remaining 
gaps and stands ready to continue providing the necessary support. 

The Pact’s entry into application is an important step. It is not, however, the end of the process. 
Sustained efforts will need to continue well beyond June to operationalise the new European 
migration management system.  

2.  DELIVERING AT UNION LEVEL 

In  addition  to  the  European  Asylum  and  Migration  Management  Strategy,  key  legislative 
initiatives  that  are  part  of  the  comprehensive  approach  and  are  aimed  at  completing  and 
complementing the Pact were adopted and entered into force in February.  

10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52026DC0045https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52026DC0045. 

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The revised rules on safe third countries11 make it easier for Member States to consider an 
asylum application inadmissible when applicants could receive effective protection in a third 
country that is safe for them and where their applications for protection would be examined. 
This should help to further ease pressure on national asylum systems and reduce incentives for 
illegal migration, while maintaining legal safeguards and in full respect of fundamental rights. 
The  new  EU  list  of  safe  countries  of  origin12  promotes  a  more  uniform  approach  across 
Member  States  when  handling  applications  that  are  likely  to  be  unfounded,  allowing  those 
claims to be processed more quickly and efficiently through accelerated or border procedures.  

Over  the  past  months,  the  Commission  continued  to  support  Member  States’  efforts  to 
adapt their national legal frameworks. Coordination was ensured, notably through the Strategic 
Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA), and the Commission’s bilateral 
dialogues  with  Member  States.  The  Solidarity  Platform  remains  the  main  forum  for  the 
implementation of the Solidarity Pool until the Technical-Level EU Solidarity Forum can take 
up its work in June 2026. The existing contact committees and expert groups have continued 
to discuss and offer guidance on the legal framework, often through joint meetings of different 
groups to help identify synergies across the legislative instruments and to avoid duplication.  

The Commission is engaging in regular exchanges with the European Parliament, notably 
with  the  Committee  on  Civil  Liberties,  Justice  and  Home  Affairs  (LIBE)  and  the  Working 
Group on Asylum – Implementation of the Pact/Common European Asylum System. 

Engagement with civil society is taking place in various fora, including the European Migration 
Forum  (a  meeting  took  place  in  November  2025)  and  bilateral  outreach.  Engagement  with 
judiciary  networks  has  included  work  with  the  European  Networks  for  Councils  of  the 
Judiciary (ENCJ) on the border procedure, to identify ways to support national judiciaries with 
the procedural changes introduced by the Pact. 

EU  agencies,  in  particular  the  European  Union  Agency  for  Asylum  (EUAA),  eu-LISA, 
Frontex, Europol and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), continue to 
closely cooperate with the Commission and the Member States to support the reform process. 
They  are  progressing  as  planned  with  the  preparation  of  the  required  guidance  documents, 
templates and training material, in line with the Common Implementation Plan. Agencies also 
continue  to  provide  tailored  assistance  to  Member  States  upon  request,  helping  to  address 
newly arising and evolving challenges13. Following the EUAA pilot monitoring exercises in 
Estonia  and  the  Netherlands  to  prepare  for  the  implementation  of  the  new  mechanism  for 
monitoring the technical and operational application of the asylum acquis in all Member States, 

11 Regulation (EU) 2026/463 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 February 2026 amending 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the application of the concept of safe third country. 
12 Regulation (EU) 2026/464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 February 2026 amending 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level, 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202600464. 
13 Further details on agencies’ support are outlined in the relevant sections. In addition, the EUAA currently 
supports 12 Member States based on joint operational plans, Frontex has 36 joint operations with Member 
States and countries in the neighbourhood, and eu-LISA leads the overhaul of Eurodac. 

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a revision of the monitoring methodology will be completed by June 2026 and the first three 
Member States will be subject to monitoring in the second half of 202614.  

The Commission also continues to provide support to Member States through the Technical 
Support  Instrument  (TSI).  The  instrument  supports  eight  Member  States15  to  implement 
specific  reforms  outlined  in  their  National  Implementation  Plans,  in  cooperation  with  the 
International  Centre  for  Migration  Policy  Development  (ICMPD)  and  the  International 
Organization for Migration (IOM). Some of these Member States are also engaging in peer-to-
peer  learning  through  a  community  of  practice,  which  includes  for  example  thematic 
workshops  and  practical  exchanges16  and  is  set  up  with  the  support  of  the  ICMPD  and 
strengthened by the ad hoc participation of some EU agencies.  

3.  OPERATIONALISATION OF THE BUILDING BLOCKS – PROGRESS UPDATE 

Supported by work in the Commission’s contact committees, which continue to develop further 
guidance  and  help  address  any  emerging  queries  and  questions,  the  necessary  national 
legislation is being put into place. In at least eleven Member States the draft legislation is in 
the  parliamentary  procedure17,  and  most  other  Member  States  are  in  the  final  stages  of 
preparing  the  necessary  proposals18.  Five  Member  States  have  already  adopted  most  of  the 
relevant national legislation19. 

Based  on  the  needs  identified  in  the  National  Implementation  Plans,  the  strategic 
programming of the EUR 3 billion allocated to the implementation of the Pact was completed 
for 26 Member States20. This process allowed for the challenges that Member States are facing 
to be assessed, which helped maximise the added value of EU funds, adding to existing EU 
funding from national programmes and national budgets. By April 2026, most of the related 
programme  amendments  were  adopted21,  while  the  process  is  underway  for  the  remaining 
amendments22.  

Overall key challenges and next steps 

It is crucial that Member States complete the necessary legal adjustments and those that are 
still drafting the necessary legislative frameworks advance as a matter of urgency.  

14 Slovakia, Malta and Bulgaria. 
15 Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. 
16 Member States share tools, templates, workflows and experiences to address common challenges and promote 
convergence of approaches. Topics have included areas such as the Screening Regulation, the conduct of 
vulnerability assessments and legal counselling. 
17 Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland and 
Romania. 
18 Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain and Sweden are in the final stages of drafting or have finalised the draft 
measures. Although Denmark is not bound by the Asylum Procedure Regulation, its new legal framework will 
include the possibility of activating the asylum border procedure if the need arises.  
19 Czechia, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland and Slovakia. 
20 Hungary has not yet requested the assigned Pact-related allocations. 
21 Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France (BMVI), Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia 
(AMIF), Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 
22 Cyprus, Belgium, Luxembourg, Latvia (BMVI), Poland, Denmark (BMVI) and France (AMIF). The 
Schengen Associated Countries are involved in a dedicated strategic Pact dialogue with a view to submitting an 
amended programme by 12 June 2026. 

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The  Commission  will  monitor  the  use  of  EU  resources  for  the  Pact,  including  through 
performance review meetings for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the 
Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI). The Commission and the Member States 
will review in the second half of 2026 the overall performance of the programmes based on 
financial data on the absorption of the funds and on operational data on progress towards the 
agreed  objectives.  Part  of  the  2026-2027  budget  of  the  AMIF  Thematic  Facility  can  be 
mobilised to provide further support to Member States, based on needs identified during the 
continued  exchange  of  information  on  the  implementation  of  the  Pact,  while  taking  into 
consideration other priorities. EU resources should be used to cover  issues in areas that are 
crucial for the implementation of the Pact or must be addressed with priority in a given Member 
State due to their possible impact on preparedness. 

3.1.  BUILDING BLOCK 1 – EURODAC 

The good functioning of Eurodac is key for the operationalisation of the Pact. Member States 
need  to  continue  working  closely  with  the  Commission  and  eu-LISA  to  coordinate 
implementation and, where necessary, request and receive guidance without delay.  

As of mid-April 2026, eleven Member States had reported being fully on track to start working 
within the new Eurodac system by June23. Sixteen Member States reported that they still face 
different challenges, but they expect to be able to solve the outstanding issues on time24. The 
main challenges faced by the Member States are delays in national procurement procedures, 
with  eleven  Member  States  declaring  that  they  will  be  relying  on  the  centralised  solution 
developed by eu-LISA25. 

The test campaign of the new system in which Member States and eu-LISA are engaged is 
progressing.  As  expected,  the  test  results  indicate  where  there  is  a  need  for  changes  to  the 
technical configurations at national level. To close the gaps, it will require concerted efforts at 
national level with the assistance from eu-LISA. To respond to these challenges, feedback to 
written questions is regularly provided by eu-LISA and meetings are being organised with the 
Commission and other stakeholders.  

Member States have committed to a set of milestones for testing technical compliance of their 
implementation as well as testing their business processes. The 62nd meeting of the eu-LISA 
Management  Board  on  18  March  acknowledged  that  many  Member  States  had  made  good 
progress overall, confirming the planning for the entry into operation of June 2026. At the same 
time, some Member States still need to increase their efforts after not meeting the agreed testing 
milestone of 15 April. As of 24 April, nineteen Member States  completed their compliance 
testing26. The remaining Member States will need to swiftly finalise such testing. Those relying 

23 Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 
24 Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, 
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia.  
25 The centralised solution, which allows Member States to perform Eurodac operations through a Web-User 
Interface (WUI), is the fall-back option for Member facing difficulties with national implementation. 
26 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, 
Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.  

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on a hybrid implementation approach27 should rely on the fall-back option in case issues with 
their  national  implementation  are  protracting.  Regarding  business  process  testing,  Member 
States are required to  demonstrate sufficient  test  results of all critical  business  processes  as 
soon as possible; the nine Member States that have not started yet need to do so as a matter of 
urgency28.  

The Commission Implementing Act on cross-system statistics29 and all but one of the required 
amendments  to  be  adopted  by  the  Commission  to  non-legislative  acts  to  support  the 
interoperability framework between EU information systems have been adopted30. These also 
enable  the  use  of  Eurodac  by  the  European  Travel  Information  and  Authorisation  System 
(ETIAS) once it is operational by the end of 2026.  

Eu-LISA continues to deliver under a tight timeline. Thanks to its work, the Eurodac central 
system  is  now  ready  to  handle  all  functionalities  required31.  Eu-LISA  has  also  successfully 
integrated  Eurodac  into  the  interoperability  framework,  connecting  the  system  with  the 
Common Identity Repository, the European Search Portal and the shared Biometric Matching 
Service.  

Key challenges and next steps 

Eurodac testing and training of personnel must be the main focus for the months to come. Eu-
LISA convened multiple dedicated workshops on testing and the functionalities of the Web 
User Interface. Europol and Member State authorities that have the right  to access Eurodac 
should invest in adequate training and test their operational procedures accordingly. To ensure 
operations start  successfully, it is  crucial to  procure  IT solutions  and related hardware (e.g. 
Eurodac machines) on time32. 

Member States that opted for a hybrid implementation approach but who are at risk of delays 
need to ensure operational readiness based on the central solution and undertake the relevant 
testing.  

27 Member States can implement the Eurodac Regulation by either adapting their national systems based on the 
Eurodac Interface Control Document, allowing for an automatised (system-to-system) interaction between the 
national and central Eurodac systems, or by using the WUI, developed by eu-LISA, allowing end users to 
perform operations via the interface itself and reducing the need for national implementation. Hybrid 
implementation refers to the use of system-to-system interaction for the most demanding operations (e.g. the 
transmission of new datasets), while relying on the WUI for less demanding ones. 
28 Croatia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovakia. 
29 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/533 of 11 March 2026 laying down rules for the application 
of Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the content of the 
monthly cross-system statistics using data from Eurodac, the Visa Information System, the European Travel 
Information and Authorisation System and the Entry/Exit System pursuant to Article 12(3) of that Regulation. 
30 Because of discussions about a new delivery timeline for the revised Visa Information System (VIS), the act 
establishing correspondence between VIS and Eurodac data is postponed. 
31 Given the challenging timeline, Commission and eu-LISA agreed on the functionalities that are strictly 
necessary to be in place in June. Other functionalities will come by the end of the year.  
32 Member States where Eurodac-related procurement is ongoing and generally on track include Austria, 
Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Spain. 
France and Slovakia have concluded this process. 

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3.2.  BUILDING BLOCK 2 – A NEW SYSTEM TO MANAGE MIGRATION AT THE UNION’S EXTERNAL 

BORDERS  

The  number  of  Member  States  that  either  already  have  or  are  about  to  have  both  reception 
facilities  and  human  resources  in  place  to  establish  adequate  capacity  for  the  border 
procedures  has increased to  15  since the last update33; the remaining  11 Member States34 
need to urgently step up efforts to establish and reach their adequate capacity. Some Member 
States had to define provisional (interim) solutions while new facilities such as multi-purpose 
centres  are  under  construction35.  Existing  sites  are  being  refurbished  to  meet  the  standards 
required  under  the  Pact  and  arrangements  made  to  prevent  absconding  in  some  Member 
States36. The locations where Member States carry out the border procedures had to be notified 
to the Commission by mid-April 2026: until 4 May, 17 Member States notified the Commission 
about such location37. To anticipate the new deadlines for the border procedure, some Member 
States have introduced deadlines for the courts, and/or tried to increase court capacities to avoid 
bottlenecks  at  the  appeal  stage.  Measures  include  increasing  staffing  resources  and  the 
technical  infrastructure,  including  facilities  for  remote  interviews38.  Other  preparatory 
measures  include  creating  or  updating  standard  operational  procedures  and  guidelines, 
digitalising procedures and setting up common case management systems39.  

The  Commission  is  updating  the  draft  guidance  document  on  the  asylum  and  return  border 
procedures  based  on  discussions  with  national  experts,  border  guards,  asylum  officials  and 
return case workers. The new EUAA Practical Guide on the Asylum Border Procedure, adopted 
by  the  EUAA  Management  Board  in  March  202640  outlines  key  practical  elements  for  an 
effective border procedure.  

Most  Member  States  are  progressing  in  setting  up  and  organising  mandatory  screening41. 
Around two thirds of Member States have notified the competent screening authorities ahead 
of the 12 June deadline42. Many are already training personnel or are finalising planning for 
training, many with the support – or drawing on material – from the EUAA and Frontex, as 

33 Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Finland, France, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the 
Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden.  
34 Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. 
35 E.g. Estonia, Latvia, among others. 
36 E.g. Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain and Italy.  
37 Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the 
Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden. 
38 Croatia and the Netherlands have introduced new legislation to set deadlines for the judiciary. Belgium and 
Croatia have invested in capacity such as new staff and/or technical infrastructure. Italy is recruiting additional 
staff for asylum commissions and courts. France has reinforced the capacity of the appeal courts reviewing 
return decisions. Cyprus is in the process of reinforcing the International Protection Administrative Court with 
four judges. 
39 Member States that updated guidelines and operational procedures: Austria, Croatia, Estonia, France, 
Lithuania, Malta, Greece, Italy and Spain. Member States that took measures to digitalise procedures or set up 
common case management systems: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, 
Malta, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. 
40 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-asylum-border-procedure.  
41 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, 
Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Spain and Sweden are on track to implement 
screening; Italy is ready for sea arrivals.  
42 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland. 

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well as IOM43. Screening pilots, organised with the support of Frontex, EUAA and Europol 
took place on the island of Lampedusa and in Sicily, as well as at Lisbon airport and at the land 
border in Romania. The Commission is further developing its guidance on the implementation 
of the Screening Regulation in view of a future update of the Practical Handbook for Border 
Guards. The training modules on screening, developed by the EUAA and Frontex, were made 
available to  users  at  the  end of September  2025.  Both  agencies  aligned the content of their 
training to ensure a harmonised implementation. Frontex developed a training programme for 
border  guards  that  adapts  to  national  contexts.  EUAA  developed  a  training  module 
‘Introduction to Screening in the Context of International Protection’ which is available since 
March 202644. The screening toolbox45 developed by Frontex and the EUAA complements the 
Commission  guidance,  and  comprises  a  set  of  templates,  guidance  materials  and  practical 
resources. Incorporating the lessons learned from the field-testing in Italy and Romania, the 
final version of the screening toolbox deliverables has been finalised and distributed to Member 
States for their use, including an operational checklist for medical practitioners.  

Key challenges and next steps 

Member States must act without delay to ensure the full operationalisation of screening and the 
border procedures. This is in particular the case for some Member States46 that need to ensure 
adequate capacity. While some Member States are relying on interim solutions until the newly 
planned facilities are ready, it is important that these solutions meet the standards set out in the 
new Reception Conditions Directive and are adequately staffed. Member States that have not 
yet notified to the Commission the locations where the border procedures will be carried out 
need to do so as a matter of urgency47. 

To  manage  the  process  at  the  external  borders,  Member  States  need  to  ensure  that  persons 
subject to the border procedure do not enter the territory of the Member States but remain in 
the dedicated areas. Pilot screening exercises have shown challenges in preventing absconding, 
leading to a situation in which no effective referral to the appropriate subsequent procedure is 
possible. Learning from this experience, it must be a priority for Member States to establish 
effective measures to prevent absconding and secondary movements. Member States need 
to use the period of initial apprehension by law enforcement authorities to do screening checks, 
notably the identity and security checks and the Eurodac registration. In addition, in accordance 
with the legal instruments of the Pact, Member States can rely on the differentiated application 
of  restrictions  of  movement,  detention  and  alternatives  to  detention  to  effectively  prevent 
absconding, ensuring proportionality and the respect of fundamental rights, including review 
where necessary. In addition, for border procedures to work, third countries will need to play 
their role and respect the international obligations to readmit their own nationals. As part of its 
migration  diplomacy  outreach,  the  EU  is  increasing  its  engagement  with  relevant  third 

43 This includes Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Finland, Italy, Slovakia and Czechia. All training 
has been finalised in Bulgaria.  
44 More information on the module is available through this link: https://www.euaa.europa.eu/training-
catalogue/introduction-screening-context-international-protection#section14332-1.  
45 Developed by Frontex, EUAA and the Commission with the support of Europol and Member States’ experts. 
46 Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Italy, Spain and Poland.  
47  Austria, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia. 

9 

 
 
 
countries. Member States need to step up readmission cooperation so that irregular migrants 
are effectively returned before the time limit for the return border procedure expires. 

Screening and the border procedures rely on the effective cooperation of different stakeholders. 
Further  preparatory  work  needs  to  focus  on  creating  the  conditions  for  this  cooperation, 
including  through  electronic  forms  and  national  case  management  systems,  to  avoid 
bottlenecks  or  procedural  gaps48.  Arrangements  on  health  checks  are  still  to  be  finalised  in 
some Member States49. It is important that information is provided in time during the screening 
phase to allow Member States to apply rules on non-compliance when appropriate. Screening 
should cover all arrivals even when arrivals are high: for this, protocols and guidance need to 
be brief and focused on key aspects to allow fast procedures, avoiding situations in which only 
some of the arrivals will be screened. These should, to the extent possible, be done during the 
initial apprehension by law enforcement authorities, so  as to effectively prevent absconding 
without having to take individual decisions on detention or restriction of freedom of movement.  

The Commission is in close contact with all Member States to address remaining challenges. 
In  addition,  with  EUAA  and  Frontex  assistance,  the  Commission  is  organising  practice-
oriented workshops with the most affected Member States50. The workshops are tailored to the 
specific  national  context  of  each  Member  State,  based  on  their  geographical  and  migratory 
situation,  different  reception  systems  and  wider  national  institutional  contexts.  By  bringing 
together all national  authorities and key stakeholders involved in  the implementation  of the 
Pact,  including  the  judiciary,  the  workshops  aim  to  help  create  a  seamless  process,  from 
screening through the asylum border procedure to the return border procedure, and cover all 
the  necessary  technical  and  operational  aspects  that  need  to  be  put  in  place.  To  simplify 
coordination, the Commission asked Member States to nominate national  contact points for 
screening and their national screening authorities ahead of June 2026. 

As of the end of May, Eurostat will publish on its website the list of countries with a low rate 
of  recognition  of  international  protection  applications  (20%  or  less),  which  is  one  of  the 
grounds for the mandatory border procedure. Member States’ competent authorities will need 
to  consult  this  list  regularly  to  ensure  clarity  for  the  determining  authorities  and  for  the 
applicants concerned, promoting its common application across the Union. In this context, EU 
Delegations in the countries concerned will also provide timely information on the ground.  

3.3.  BUILDING BLOCK 3 - RETHINKING RECEPTION  

Most Member States are undertaking partial reforms of their reception systems to adjust to the 
new rules, while for few Member States this is part of a larger-scale systemic reform51. Some 
Member  States  indicate  sufficient  reception  capacities52,  and  many  Member  States  are 

48 Related challenges vary from ensuring IT infrastructure and developing the forms, addressing the 
guardianship of unaccompanied minors, outstanding designation of locations.  
49 These include Estonia, Germany, Slovenia and Spain. 
50 Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain. 
51 Portugal, Ireland and Sweden. Sweden is shifting from private accommodation to collective centres.  
52 E.g. Czechia, Lithuania, France, Finland, Spain, Malta, Slovakia and Greece (mainland).  

10 

 
 
 
constructing new facilities or refurbishing or remodeling existing ones53. Work on setting up 
new multipurpose centres is ongoing in several Member States54; the models and blueprints 
developed by the EUAA and the Commission remain useful for this purpose55.  

Various  Member  States  continue  their  work  to  set  up  different  reception  arrangements  for 
different groups of applicants. These arrangements can be useful to cater for the needs of people 
with vulnerabilities56 or families, and to provide dedicated facilities for transfer cases57. 

Advancing  the  digital  integration  and  connectivity  of  existing  case  management  systems, 
improving data transfer and facilitating access to information for relevant authorities continues 
to be a major work strand for almost all Member States, while situations and starting points 
differ58.  Many  Member  States  are  likely  to  continue  projects  for  the  integration  of  case-
management systems beyond June 2026. 

Work in the Reception Contact Committee continues, focusing on the transposition of the 2024 
Reception Conditions Directive and the transition from the currently applicable Directive to 
the recast Directive. This also includes the provisions on the use of restrictions on freedom of 
movement, detention and alternatives to detention that will be detailed in a dedicated guidance 
document. Ahead of the deadline for transposition of the Reception Conditions Directive in 
June, one Member State already communicated full transposition59. Drawing on work in the 
EUAA  Reception  Network,  the  EUAA  published  a  Practical  Guide  on  Management  of  a 
Reception Centre60 in December 2025. It covers key elements related to the management and 
organisation of reception centres with a specific focus on the initial phase of reception and the 
link  to  procedural  aspects.  It  also  stresses  the  important  role  of  access  to  early  integration 
measures during the reception phase in creating the basis for successful subsequent inclusion 
in  the  host  society.  This  covers  elements  of  the  Reception  Conditions  Directive:  access  to 
language,  civic  education  and  vocational  training  courses,  to  the  labour  market,  as  well  as 
procedures for the recognition of qualifications. In March 2026, the EUAA adopted the updated 
‘Operational Standards and Indicators on Reception including Vulnerability-related Aspects’61. 
It includes a focus on children and on vulnerability. 

53 E.g. Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Italy and Malta. Delays expected in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, 
Slovenia, Slovakia and Portugal. 
54 E.g. Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia.  
55 The EUAA is applying these blueprints in the context of support to Romania.  
56 E.g. Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Sweden.  
57 E.g. Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden.  
58 Work on reception-related IT-systems is ongoing in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Finland, France, 
Italy, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and others. While Finland has an advanced system, prioritisation of tasks 
is required in view of a lack of IT experts. Slovenia will not finalise all work by June 2026. Others, such as 
Spain, indicate good progress. Estonia will carry out the integration of IT systems after June under a different 
project and ensure that all necessary interconnectivity is in place by June.  
59 Czechia.  
60 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-management-reception-centre-arrival.  
61 The guidance updates and consolidates the following: Guidance on Reception Conditions: Operational 
standards and indicators (2016); Guidance on Reception Conditions for Unaccompanied Children: Operational 
standards and indicators (2018); https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/guidance-reception-operational-
standards-and-indicators; https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/guidance-vulnerability-operational-
standards-and-indicators. 

11 

 
 
 
Key challenges and next steps 

Member States need to address gaps that could lead to delays in the procedures, create new 
capacities where needed, or ensure adequate quality conditions in the facilities, in respect of 
specific  needs  and  vulnerabilities  notably  for  children,  including  unaccompanied  minors. 
Where  necessary,  intermediate  measures  need  to  be  put  in  place  to  guarantee  sufficient 
capacity. Efforts are especially needed where Member States have no clear plans to establish 
adequate  reception  capacities  or  have  recently  implemented  a  reduction  in  capacity62. 
Particularly in these cases, the relevant Member States must ensure that any such measures are 
in line with the overall need for well-prepared asylum and reception systems. 

The EUAA is organising outreach activities to promote tools, guidance and training, and will 
continue to organise thematic workshops and exchange programmes for Member States. At the 
Commission’s request, the EUAA will develop guidance on reception models.  

Most Member States must still transpose the Reception Conditions Directive and communicate 
to the Commission the relevant texts, along with an explanatory document by 12 June. The 
Commission  encourages  all  Member  States  to  identify  the  responsible  authorities  and 
communicate this information as soon as possible to facilitate exchanges on implementation.  

Accurate  and  complete  reception  data  are  central  to  inform  the  assessment  of  the  reception 
situation.  Member  States  are  required  to  report  on  core  reception  indicators  for  the  next 
European Annual Asylum and Migration Report. As of 2027, Member States will then report 
data to the EUAA on a complete set of reception indicators. Member States will need to further 
improve reporting and the granularity of data to ensure comparable and complete statistics.  

3.4.  BUILDING BLOCK 4 - FAIR, EFFICIENT AND CONVERGENT ASYLUM PROCEDURES  

The newly adopted EU list of safe countries of origin gives Member States the possibility to 
frontload  some  elements  of  the  Regulation,  notably  the  application  of  the  20%  (or  lower) 
recognition rate as a ground for an accelerated procedure, and the possibility to designate safe 
countries of origin and safe third countries with exceptions for specific parts of Member State’s 
territory or clearly identifiable categories of persons.  

Various Member States are taking measures to tackle existing backlogs and improve their case 
management.  This  includes  setting  up  dedicated  teams,  hiring  additional  staff,  reforming 
processes  through  digitalisation  and  integrated  case-management  systems,  and  harmonising 
workflows  and  procedures  across  different  stakeholders63.  Some  Member  States  are  also 
making using EUAA support for instance to jointly develop procedures, request deployments 
or training, or operational support64. Many Member States continue to engage with the judiciary 

62 Reception-related concerns, in particular regarding unaccompanied minors, persist in Cyprus, Belgium, the 
Netherlands and Greece. Spain is reducing capacities in light of a decrease in arrivals. France reorganised its 
reception system in 2025 by reducing in-kind capacity and providing a financial allowance to applicants who are 
not granted housing in-kind (Member States can provide material reception conditions in-kind or through cash / 
vouchers). 
63 Member States currently engaged in these different reforms include Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, 
Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal and Spain. 
64 E.g. Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania and Portugal. 

12 

 
 
 
 
and  are  taking  concrete  measures  to  align  national  judicial  procedures  with  the  Pact’s 
requirements,  strengthen  the  efficiency  of  court  systems  and  increase  capacity  to  handle 
appeals65. 

The EUAA is working on several products that will assist Member States in rolling out the new 
asylum procedures. The EUAA Operational Standards and Indicators on the Asylum Procedure 
were  published  on  25  November  202566,  to  support  Member  States  in  achieving  fair  and 
effective  asylum  procedures  and  strengthen  the  Common  European  Asylum  System  at  an 
operational level. The EUAA also continues to actively engage with members of courts and 
tribunals on a variety of themes67.  

Key challenges and next steps 

Concrete  actions  need  to  be  maintained  and,  in  some  cases,  intensified  to  clear  existing 
backlogs and prevent new ones from emerging68. Some of the measures Member States need 
to take are to promptly initiate recruitment processes, whether temporary or permanent, and 
deliver  the  necessary  training  to  ensure  staff  are  well  acquainted  with  the  new  framework, 
potentially  in  collaboration  with  the  EUAA69.  In  parallel  with  reducing  backlogs,  Member 
States should also strengthen judicial capacity. Given the risk of overburdened court systems 
and staff shortages that may result from shorter deadlines under the new procedures, national 
administrations must ensure efficient coordination among the relevant services. 

As part of their preparatory work, Member States also need to take the necessary measures and, 
where  applicable,  introduce  legislative  changes  to  ensure  effective  access  to  asylum 
procedures, while always upholding the principle of non-refoulement.  

Under the Asylum Procedure Regulation, Member States are required to notify the Commission 
of the other relevant national authorities, apart from the determining authority, responsible for 
receiving  applications,  as  well  as  of  the  designated  competent  authority  for  registering 
applications  by  12  June  2026.  They  must  also  designate  a  national  contact  point  for  the 
purposes  of  both  that  Regulation  and  the  Qualification  Regulation  and  communicate  their 
contact details to the Commission. The Commission will then share this information with the 
other Member States. 

3.5.  BUILDING BLOCK 5 - MORE EFFICIENT AND FAIR RETURN PROCEDURES  

In parallel to the negotiations on the proposed Return Regulation, the Commission and Member 
States  are  defining  practical  and  operational  measures  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  return. 
Almost all Member States adjusted their framework or practices to align the issuing of return 
decisions  closely  together  with  negative  asylum  decisions  in  accordance  with  the  Asylum 
Procedure Regulation. Member States are introducing further measures as part of broader joint 

65 Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Finland, Estonia, 
Portugal, Slovenia, Latvia and Spain. 
66 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/operational-standards-indicators-asylum-procedure. 
67 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-11/2026_Courts_Tribunals_Schedule_Activities_EN.pdf.  
68 Member States who continue to face challenges include Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, 
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.  
69 The EUAA continues to update its training modules and draft new ones. So far, 26 training modules have 
been updated or newly drafted, bringing the European Asylum Curriculum up to date with the Pact. 

13 

 
 
 
efforts to simplify and streamline administrative processes70. Member States have taken steps 
to  modernise  their  national  return  case-management  systems:  to  date,  with  the  support  of 
Frontex, 22 Member States71 have put in place IT solutions to manage return cases by going 
through a gap analysis against a model IT-system (RECAMAS model). 

With the Return Coordinator’s support, Member States and Frontex continue their efforts on 
targeted  return  actions  and  the  coordination  of  operational  measures  to  increase  returns  to 
common priority third countries. For the return border procedure, those Member States with 
the highest numbers of cases in the border procedure are likely to return third-country nationals 
to a group of third countries of particular relevance for the respective Member State. The focus 
of  coordinated  measures  should  include  deploying  liaison  officers  in  these  third  countries, 
increasing the uptake of voluntary returns, joint return operations, and identification tools. 

Frontex, in collaboration with Member States and other stakeholders, gathered good practices 
on effective identification and documentation of third-country nationals for return. The good 
practices, explicitly reflecting the short timelines and operational constraints introduced by the 
return border procedure, will be available to Member States in the second quarter of 2026. 

Returns supported by Frontex continue to increase, accounting for almost half of overall returns 
from  the  Union  in  2025.  The  work  of  deployed  standing  corps  officers,  such  as  Return 
Specialists  (RS),  Frontex  Return  Escort  and  Support  Officers  (FRESO)  and  Fundamental 
Rights Monitors, continues to support Member States’ return processes. In addition to standard 
deployments, the Agency plans to deploy teams composed of both FRESO and RS in Member 
States. This would allow more coordinated approach in supporting the return border procedure, 
acting in more agile manner.  

In the first half of 2025, all Member States continue to  make active  use  of the Frontex EU 
Reintegration  Programme,  which  currently  provides  reintegration  assistance  in  around  40 
Countries  of  Origin.  In  response  to  Member  States’  requests,  Frontex  continues  to  provide 
targeted capacity-building support to Member States to harmonise the return and reintegration 
counselling through regular and multiplier training courses. 

In exchanges with third countries, as well as on occasions such as the meetings of the regional 
processes on migration, the Commission conveyed to partners the implications of the return 
border  procedure  and  the  need  to  improve  overall  cooperation  to  increase  the  efficiency  of 
procedures and respect timeframes. The main elements were also presented at the 2026 EU 
Ambassadors’ Conference. 

Key challenges and next steps 

To  have  more  efficient  and  effective  procedures,  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council 
should  reach  a  swift  agreement  on  the  proposed  Return  Regulation.  Furthermore,  the 

70This includes Austria, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Cyprus (new assisted voluntary return centre for vulnerable), 
Bulgaria and Czechia (assisted voluntary return), on return offices: Bulgaria and Sweden. Poland is planning a 
new return strategy and renew efforts to step up returns. 
71 Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, 
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Switzerland. 

14 

 
 
 
Commission will put forward a proposal on the digitalisation of case management in the area 
of return, readmission and reintegration this year.  

Member  States  should  upscale  their  use  of  the  current  possibilities  for  Frontex  support  on 
return: at the moment, just three Member States use more than 60% of this kind of support. 
The Commission and Frontex are engaging with Member States to identify operational needs 
and  find  practical  solutions  for  implementing  the  return  border  procedure,  including  in 
dedicated workshops. Frontex will continue to tailor support to Member States based on the 
results of its annual survey.  

Return  and  readmission remain key  elements  in  the  comprehensive  approach  to  migration 
cooperation  with  third  countries. Experience  shows  that  if  the  obligation  to  readmit  own 
nationals is implemented in a structured way, with clear and agreed rules, this will foster regular 
dialogue.  The  EU-Nigeria  Readmission  Agreement,  which  was  recently  initialled  by  the 
Parties,  goes  in  this  direction,  providing  a  structured  framework  for  cooperation.  This  is 
essential  in  addressing  concrete  issues  and identifying solutions,  based  on  political  will  to 
cooperate.  The  well-functioning  of  cooperation  on  readmission  with  third  countries  whose 
nationals are subject to the return border procedure is a key precondition for the new mandatory 
border procedures to work in practice. In this context, it is also essential to ensure coordination 
between EU Delegations and Member States’ embassies so that they have adequate information 
and capacity for action in third countries, and so that return and readmission are integrated into 
the broader set of EU interests vis-à-vis the third country concerned. 

3.6.  BUILDING BLOCK 6 - MAKING RESPONSIBILITY WORK  

The good functioning of the existing Dublin rules and of the new rules under the Asylum and 
Migration  Management  Regulation  is  of  fundamental  importance  for  the  Pact.  The  rules  to 
implement  the new  responsibility system  were adopted in  October 202572. Several Member 
States  are strengthening  the capacities of  their  Dublin units  through new recruitment  or  via 
internal  transfers73.  Member  States  are  also  taking  other  measures.  These  include  internal 
reorganisation, improvement in IT and case management systems, new guidance and training, 
refining procedures for vulnerable groups and families, setting up new dedicated facilities for 
persons subjects to transfers, and increasing flanking measures such as counselling services74. 

New EUAA ‘Operational standards and indicators on the Asylum and Migration Management 
Regulation’, adopted in March 202675 and developed together with Member States, fully revise 

72 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2055 of 2 October 2025 laying down rules for the 
application of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards asylum 
and migration management and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 1560/2003. 
73 Austria (internal transfers), Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Slovenia  
74 E.g. internal reorganisations in Croatia and Ireland; improvement in IT and case managements systems in 
Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Ireland and Italy; new guidance including 
relating to vulnerable groups and families in Austria, Czechia, France and Ireland; additional training in Austria, 
Czechia, France, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden; the establishment of special facilities to house people for 
responsibility transfers in Belgium, Finland, Germany and Slovenia, but also enhanced counselling to address 
the risk of absconding, as for example in Belgium. 
75 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/operational-standards-indicators-asylum-migration-management-
regulation.  

15 

 
 
 
and update the existing  standards and indicators for the Dublin  III  Regulation76. They offer 
support and guidance to Member States in the implementation of the Asylum and Migration 
Management  Regulation,  focusing  on  the  mechanism  to  determine  the  Member  State 
responsible for examining an application for international protection, to help achieve fair and 
effective procedures and to strengthen the Common European Asylum System. To complement 
this guidance, the EUAA is working on new recommendations for practical solutions including 
on  the  organisation  of  transfers,  coordination  between  relevant  stakeholders,  preventing 
absconding and ensuring that fundamental rights are respected throughout the procedure. 

Key challenges and next steps 

To ensure  a sustainable  transition  from  the current  Dublin  system  to  the new  responsibility 
rules, particular attention should be paid to the operational cooperation among Member States. 
Member States should be actively engaged in facilitating transfers and cooperating on practical 
and logistical matters. Member States had to notify their designated locations for responsibility 
transfers by 12 April 202677. This is essential for the transition to the new responsibility system. 
While reforms are underway, staffing shortages still exist in some Member States and need to 
be addressed78. 

The Commission is in close dialogue with Member States to ensure that the conditions are in 
place so that transfers can take place towards all Member States in accordance with the new 
rules as soon as they will start applying. The Commission will assess by 12 July, and again by 
15 October, whether the current practices with regard to applicable transfer rules have not been 
remedied, and thereby constitute systemic shortcomings that could result in serious negative 
consequences for the functioning of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation. 

The  Commission  will  finalise  the  delegated  acts  planned  under  the  Asylum  and  Migration 
Management Regulation to facilitate the application of the rules on unaccompanied minors and 
dependent persons, including determining responsibility based on these criteria. The upgrade 
of  DubliNet  continues  on  the  basis  of  the  concept  note  developed  by  eu-LISA  and  the 
Commission and agreed by the Member States in June 2024. Eu-LISA is also developing the 
technical and operational details of communication between Member States via DubliNet.  

3.7.  BUILDING BLOCK 7 – MAKING SOLIDARITY WORK  

In  November  2025,  the  first  annual  migration  management  cycle  was  launched  with  the 
adoption  of  the  European  Annual  Asylum  and  Migration  Report,  assessing  the  migratory 
situation  in  the  Union  and  the  Member  States  for  the  period  July  2024  –  June  2025,  and 
identifying potential trends and developments for the coming year79. Based on the findings of 

76 Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 establishing the 
criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for 
international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person 
(recast). 
77 All Member States but Hungary have for now notified designated locations to the EUAA. 
78 Croatia, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Romania. 
79 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0795. 

16 

 
 
 
the report, the Commission adopted an implementing decision80 determining Member States 
under  migratory  pressure  (Cyprus,  Greece,  Italy  and  Spain),  at  risk  of  migratory  pressure 
(Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Estonia.  Germany,  Ireland,  France,  Croatia,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  the 
Netherlands,  Poland  and  Finland)  and  facing  a  significant  migratory  situation  (Bulgaria, 
Czechia,  Estonia,  Croatia,  Austria  and  Poland).  Following  the  Commission  proposal  for  a 
Council  implementing  act  establishing  the  solidarity  pool,  the  Council  convened  the  High-
Level EU Solidarity Forum where Member States pledged their solidarity contributions81. The 
Council adopted its implementing decision on the establishment of the Solidarity Pool for 2026 
on  19  December  2025,  with  a  reference  number  of  21 000  relocations  or  other  forms  of 
solidarity support or EUR 420 million financial contributions82. The EU Solidarity Coordinator 
is currently preparing the operationalisation of the Pool under the Solidarity Platform83.  

The  new  EUAA  Practical  Guide  on  the  Solidarity  Mechanism,  adopted  in  March  202684, 
provides  guidance  on  the  practical  implementation  of  the  solidarity  mechanism  by  national 
authorities, especially for relocations. A second part will focus on responsibility offsets. 

Key challenges and next steps 

Work  is  advancing  well  on  the  implementation  of  the  first  Solidarity  Pool,  with  exchanges 
taking  places  between  the  Commission  and  all  Member  States.  The  Technical-Level  EU 
Solidarity Forum will be convened after the Pact starts to fully apply in June, to take forward 
the  operationalisation  of  the  solidarity  mechanism  based  on  the  Solidarity  Coordinator’s 
proposal for a balanced and fair distribution of the Pool among benefitting Member States. To 
prepare  this,  in-depth  exchanges  are  currently  taking  place  with  all  Member  States  in  the 
Solidarity  Platform  and  bilaterally  with  both  benefitting  and  contributing  Member  States. 
Moreover, the Commission will continue working to ensure that all Member States contribute 
to the Solidarity Pool. It remains key for the implementation of the Solidarity Pool that there 
are  no  systemic  shortcomings  in  the  benefitting  Member  States  with  regard  to  the  rules  on 
responsibility under the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation that could result in 
serious  negative  consequences  for  the  functioning  of  the  system.  If  such  shortcomings  are 
detected, contributing Member States will not be required to implement their pledges. 

Following  the  launch  of  the  first  annual  migration  management  cycle,  data  quality  and 
completeness improved. However, more work is needed for the next cycle85. Member States 
should ensure that quantitative and qualitative data and information are reported in a timely 
manner to the relevant EU bodies, in particular to the EUAA, Frontex and Eurostat, as set out 

80 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2323 of 11 November 2025 pursuant to Article 11 of 
Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council. 
81 All Member States pledged except Hungary and Slovakia. 
82 Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2642 of 19 December 2025 on the establishment of the Annual 
Solidarity Pool for 2026.  
83 A meeting of the Solidarity Platform took place on 23 March 2026 to prepare the operationalisation of the 
Solidarity Pool for 2026, once the Pact enters into application. 
84 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-solidarity-mechanism-part-i. 
85 Based on the first Annual Report, significant data gaps persisted across several Member States, notably in the 
areas of return, asylum appeal decisions, reception systems, unaccompanied minors and illegal stay. Incomplete 
or missing data were reported for one or more indicators by Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, 
Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Spain. 

17 

 
 
 
in the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation. Ongoing work to set up a new data flow 
model should ensure a single set of official European statistics on international protection86. 
This would allow the Commission to further improve the quality and comprehensiveness of its 
assessment when determining the migratory situation in the Member States. 

3.8.  BUILDING BLOCK 8 - PREPAREDNESS AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING  

Recent geopolitical developments, such as those relating to the Middle East, further underline 
the  importance  of  preparedness  and  contingency  planning.  As  indicated  by  Leaders  in  the 
European  Council  Conclusions  of  March  202687,  the  EU  is  ready  to  fully  mobilise  its 
diplomatic, legal, operational and financial tools to prevent uncontrolled migratory movements 
to  the  EU  and  preserve  security  in  Europe.  The  Commission  and  relevant  EU  agencies  are 
closely  monitoring  the  developments  and  the  possible  implications  on  migratory  flows, 
including  through  early  warning,  forecasting  and  scenario  modelling,  to  ensure  situational 
awareness  and  support  timely  and  coordinated  responses  where  needed.  The  Commission, 
together with the EUAA and Frontex, is engaging with Member States in dedicated exchanges 
to discuss possible scenarios and contingency planning at the external borders88 and in the areas 
of asylum and reception in the event of increased migratory flows and identify areas where 
additional actions may be required to enhance preparedness. 

All Member States but one89 submitted for now their national contingency plans to the EUAA. 
Most of these plans reflect the core elements of the template developed by the EUAA; however, 
the  plans  vary  in  their  levels  of  completeness  on  asylum,  reception  and  unaccompanied 
minors90. As follow-up to the previous state of play on the implementation of the Pact, some 
Member  States  are  already  in  the  process  of  revising  or  complementing  their  contingency 
plans91. A few Member States92 also reported recent or planned testing and simulation exercises 
of their various contingency plans.  

Key challenges and next steps 

Overall, the level of preparedness in the Union and in the Member States is benefitting from 
the implementation of the new provisions of the Pact. The Commission and the EUAA continue 
to  work  with  the  Member  States  to  identify  good  practices  and  areas  in  the  plans  to  be 

86A joint EUAA-EUROSTAT project is put in place to streamline statistics on international protection. A 
working arrangement is to be signed between the two entities by mid-2026 and the new data flow will be 
applicable from reference month July 2025.. 
87 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/lwhk3itd/en-20260319-european-council-conclusions.pdf.  
88 Frontex has updated the Handbook on Contingency Planning for Border Management and Return, a practical 
reference designed to help activate, test and refine national contingency plans for high migratory influxes and 
other crises at the EU’s external borders. 
89 Hungary. 
90 E.g. Spain, Estonia, France, Latvia, the Netherlands and Austria. As part of the Commission’s dialogues with 
Member States, some of these Member States, as well as Poland, indicated that they are in the process or plan to 
revise and complement their contingency plans. Other Member States indicated that, due to ongoing legislative 
and administrative preparations for the entry into application of the Pact, revisions of the contingency plans are 
not yet planned, or are foreseen only at a later stage, but measures could nonetheless be deployed in case of 
necessity.  
91 E.g. the Netherlands and Estonia. 
92 E.g. Malta, Portugal, Spain, France and Italy reported recent or planned exercise activities related to their 
respective contingency plans. 

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strengthened, including under the Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint. Notably, areas 
such  as  asylum  procedures  and  the  appointment  and  caseload  of  representatives  for 
unaccompanied minors would benefit from improvement and further clarity. Furthermore, it is 
in  some  cases  unclear  whether  preparedness  measures  (e.g.  logistics  and  procurement 
preparation, stockpiling, training or buffer reception capacity) are already in place or planned. 
Identifying measurable thresholds and indicators for different scenarios and response measures 
would enhance the effectiveness of the contingency plans. Well-defined activation and review 
procedures would also contribute to their robustness. 

The  Commission  invites  the  Member  States  to  ensure  their  plans  are,  where  necessary, 
completed, refined or updated, adopted and notified to the EUAA once revised. In addition, 
Member States are encouraged to ensure appropriate capacity-building measures and to plan 
activities  to  test  the  contingency  plans  (e.g.  simulations,  tabletop  exercises  or  other  stress-
testing mechanisms). Member States will also need to notify the Commission and the EUAA 
if the contingency plan is activated as from 12 June 2026, or earlier if the Member State has 
transposed and started applying the Reception Conditions Directive prior to that date93. 

The  EUAA  provides  technical  support  to  Member  States  through  structured  feedback  and 
targeted  activities,  upon  request.  So  far,  feedback  on  national  contingency  plans  has  been 
provided  to  nine  Member  States94.  The  EUAA  started  developing  a  Practical  Guide  on 
Contingency  Planning  methodology  with  the  support  and  contribution  of  the  Commission, 
Member  States  and  Frontex,  expected  to  be  finalised  in  2027.  The  Practical  Guide  aims  to 
provide  Member  States  with  structured,  practical  and  operational  guidance  to  support  the 
revision of their national contingency plans. Contingency planning on reception and asylum 
will be assessed as part of the regular EUAA multiannual monitoring programme. Full-scale 
monitoring  will  start  as  of  June  2026  following  the  adoption  of  the  revised  monitoring 
methodology, with three Member States, Slovakia, Malta and Bulgaria, being monitored in the 
first year and on average five Member States in the following ones. 

3.9.  BUILDING  BLOCK  9  -  NEW  SAFEGUARDS  FOR  APPLICANTS  FOR  INTERNATIONAL 
INCREASED  MONITORING  OF 

PROTECTION  AND  VULNERABLE  PERSONS,  AND 
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS 

Work is advancing on the arrangements for legal counselling and monitoring of fundamental 
rights.  Almost  all Member States  are close to concluding arrangements  to ensure  free legal 
counselling  is  provided  at  the administrative stage of the procedure, although a third of the 
Member  States  still  need  to  finalise  the  necessary  legislative  changes95.  Operationally,  a 
majority of Member States have chosen to work with different external partners, independent 

93 On 30 July 2025, joint indications on how to notify the Commission and the EUAA on the activation and 
deactivation of the plan in the cases foreseen in the Reception Conditions Directive were circulated to the 
Member States. 
94 As of 27 March, feedback has been provided to Austria, Cyprus, Lithuania, Estonia, the Netherlands, Malta, 
Luxembourg, Poland and Sweden. 
95 This includes Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and 
Sweden. 

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agencies and/or lawyers/legal aid associations or NGOs96, either by continuing with existing 
arrangements or introducing new ones. All but a few Member States are also concluding their 
arrangements  in  relation  to  the  mechanism  for  monitoring  fundamental  rights  in  the  border 
procedures, often with the national ombudspersons97.  

Following its earlier guidance98, FRA has developed a practical monitoring tool setting out a 
common  methodology  for  the  monitoring  mechanisms.  In  April  2026,  FRA  also  provided 
awareness raising workshops to monitoring staff in number of Member States99  and published 
a report100 with lessons learned from FRA’s operational work in Greece and Italy to inform the 
implementation of the Pact in line with the EU Charter of  Fundamental Rights. The EUAA 
finalised issued a practical guide on free legal counselling in the administrative stage of the 
asylum procedure101. 

In  relation  to  children,  Member  States  are  focusing  on  ensuring  appropriate  reception 
conditions and reviewing age assessment procedures to adapt to the new rules introduced by 
the  Asylum  Procedure  Regulation,  in  particular  the  obligation  to  apply  a  multi-disciplinary 
approach involving panels of qualified professionals102. The specific provisions and concrete 
safeguards  related  to  children,  including  unaccompanied  minors,  were  last  discussed  at  the 
annual meeting of the dedicated expert group in November 2025 and at the Asylum Working 
Party  in  March  2026.  The  EUAA  training  module  on  children  in  the  asylum  process  was 
revised in October 2025. The Practical Guide on Age Assessment103 provides comprehensive 
guidance  to  support  authorities  and  professionals  involved  in  age  assessment  when  there  is 
uncertainty  about  the  claimed  age.  EUAA  also  published  a  Report  on  Age  Assessment 
Practices in March 2026104. The report maps age assessment practices, methods, safeguards 
and roles in the EU+ in 2025, covering also planned or ongoing adjustments in view of Pact 
implementation and identifies trends and promising practices. The Practical Guide on the Best 

96 Belgium (NGOs and the Immigration Office), Bulgaria (National Legal Aid Bureau), Croatia (NGOs), 
Czechia (law firm), France (NGOs), Ireland (legal aid board), Italy (UNHCR), Lithuania (State guaranteed), 
Luxembourg, Poland (NGOs), Portugal (Lawyers Association), Romania (NGOs), Slovakia (NGOs), Austria, 
(BBU – government body independent from asylum agency), Slovenia (public tender under preparation for 
external staff to provide legal assistance), Sweden (NGOs), Estonia (procurement ongoing) and Latvia. 
Germany, Finland, Malta and the Netherlands are relying on internal arrangements inside the government bodies 
also responsible for procedures. 
97 Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France (along with the 
Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté), Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, 
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Other Member States chose different arrangements: Ireland (Chief 
Inspector for Asylum and Border Procedures), Germany (Nationale Stelle zur Verhütung von Folter & 
Deutsches Institut fuer Menschenrechte), the Netherlands (Institute for Human Rights and Dutch Inspectorate) 
and Croatia (governmental office for human rights). Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta and Sweden have 
not yet concluded arrangements.  
98 https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2024/border-rights-monitoring.  
99 Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. In Romania the practical monitoring tool was tested 
at a screening simulation exercise. 
100 https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2026/operationalising-pact-migration-and-asylum-hotspot.  
101 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-free-legal-counselling. 
102 Few Member States have a multi-disciplinary procedure in place: Austria, France, Germany, Croatia, 
Lithuania, Italy, Norway, Portugal and Sweden. 
103 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-age-assessment-0. 
104 EUAA: Age Assessment Practices in EU+ Countries, https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/age-
assessment-practices-eu-countries-0.  

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Interests  of  the  Child  was  adopted  by  the  EUAA  Management  Board  in  March105.  FRA  is 
updating the 2014 Handbook on children deprived of parental care106. 

To identify vulnerabilities, the EUAA revised the training modules on victims of gender-based 
violence  in  November  2025  and  on  applicants  with  diverse  sexual  orientations,  gender 
identities and expressions, and sex characteristics in February 2026. The new screening toolbox 
also includes an annex on conducting preliminary vulnerability checks, for which tailor-made 
training has been made available107. In relation to returns, Frontex, in collaboration with other 
stakeholders, is developing a mobile application on working with vulnerable groups, including 
also a vulnerability check. 

Key challenges and next steps 

Member States that have not yet defined arrangements for providing free legal counselling at 
the  administrative  stage108  or  the  mechanism  for  monitoring  compliance  with  fundamental 
rights in the border procedure109 should do so as soon as possible. All Member States should 
address any outstanding issues relating to ensuring adequate financing, staffing and training, 
and define clear lines of responsibility and accountability (where this role is divided among 
multiple  actors,  a  clear  lead  actor  should  be  designated).  Following  its  December  2024 
guidance on establishing the Mechanism, FRA is now preparing methodological guidance to 
support the work of future monitors.  

Member States should increase efforts to reinforce the guardianship system to ensure timely 
appointment  and  an  adequate  number  of  representatives  available  to  be  appointed  for 
unaccompanied  minors,  the  respect  of  children’s  rights,  including  access  to  education  and 
healthcare,  and  safeguards  for  children  in  relation  to  reception,  the  border  procedures  and 
detention. For many Member States’ systems, this requires reaching out to different actors and 
authorities, such as child welfare services. Similarly, Member States must step up preparations 
to ensure that they can carry out a multi-disciplinary approach to age assessment, including at 
the borders. 

3.10. 

BUILDING BLOCK 10 - RESETTLEMENT, INCLUSION AND INTEGRATION 

The two-year Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Plan for 2026–2027, adopted 
by the Council on 18 December 2025110, sets out the Union’s first biennial cycle of coordinated 
resettlement  and  humanitarian  admission  efforts.  Based  on  voluntary  pledges  from  nine 
Member States, the Plan provides for 10 430 safe and legal pathways for persons in need of 
international  protection  over  the  two-year  period,  increasing  cooperation  with  key  third 

105 https://www.euaa.europa.eu/publications/practical-guide-best-interests-child, EUAA: Practical guide on the 
best interests of the child in the framework of international protection. 
106 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights: Guardianship for children deprived of parental care. 
https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2014/guardianship-children-deprived-parental-care 
107 EUAA training: Vulnerability in the Pact on Migration and Asylum. https://www.euaa.europa.eu/training-
catalogue/vulnerability-pact-migration-and-asylum 
108 Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia and Italy. 
109 Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Malta.  
110 Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/2628 of 18 December 2025 on the Union Resettlement and 
Humanitarian Admission Plan (2026-2027).  

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countries  hosting  displaced  populations.  The  Plan,  prepared  in  consultation  with  the  High-
Level  Resettlement  and  Humanitarian  Admission  Committee,  taking  into  account  Member 
States’  contributions  and  the  UNHCR’s  global  needs  assessment,  entered  into  force  on  11 
January 2026. In support of the implementation of the Plan, the EUAA has finalised the update 
to its training modules on complementary pathways and on the selection phase in the context 
of resettlement and humanitarian admission.  

Legal pathways with third countries also contribute to effective migration management and the 
integration of migrants. The Visa Strategy111 and the Recommendation for Attracting Talent 
for Innovation112 from January 2026 set out a new framework for visa policy and put forward 
recommendations to make the Union more attractive to highly skilled professionals, students, 
researchers and innovative entrepreneurs to support the Union's competitiveness in a global 
context. The Commission also launched the Talent for Innovation Attraction Platform with a 
first meeting organised in March 2026 and a second one envisaged for June 2026. 

In their National  Implementation Plans, several Member States  signalled the need to invest 
more in or support further integration measures, including language and civic integration, and 
support to labour market integration through facilitating the recognition of qualifications and 
the  validation  of  skills.  This  work  is  ongoing,  with  various  Member  States  mapping  and 
assessing  further  needs  as  well  as  rolling  out  reforms113.  Since  November  2025,  one  more 
Member State has adopted a wider integration strategy114. Some Member States concentrate 
their efforts on specific aspects of integration, such as language courses or civic training or are 
developing  integration-specific  IT-tools115.  The  European  Integration  Network  meeting  of 
December 2025 focused on challenges and good practices for ensuring that migrants facing 
multiple barriers to labour market integration (e.g. applicants and beneficiaries of international 
protection,  migrant  women  with  vulnerabilities)  can  access  employment  and  employment-
related training quickly and sustainably.  

Key challenges and next steps 

The focus is  now on the implementation of the Union Resettlement  and Humanitarian Plan 
2026-2027. The Commission stands ready to support Member States in their efforts. The High-
Level Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Committee will be convened after summer 
2026 to exchange with Member States and relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the 
EU Plan.  

Integration  support  measures  still  vary  greatly  in  comprehensiveness  and  quality  across 
Member States. Several Member States need to increase their efforts to cover gaps in access to 

111 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on EU visa policy 
strategy, COM(2026) 43 final. 
112 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2026/311 of 29 January 2026 on attracting talent for innovation. 
113 Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Czechia and Latvia work on adapting existing systems and adding new 
components. Portugal is undertaking a systemic reform.  
114 Cyprus. As of March 2026, all Member States except Hungary and Romania have adopted strategies for 
migrant integration at national or regional level. Italy is currently preparing an update of its National Integration 
Plan. 
115 E.g. Czechia and Estonia.  

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free integration measures116, including language and civic orientation courses, which are not 
yet  available  in  all  Member  States;  support  to  labour  market  integration,  including 
employment-related  training  and  services  offered  by  employment  offices;  and  access  to 
procedures for the recognition of qualifications and validation of skills. It is important to move 
from  sporadic,  project-based  actions  to  structural  integration  support117  and  follow-up  to 
commitments  with  clear  action118.  To  increase  the  effectiveness  of  their  support,  Member 
States should promote a smooth transition between early integration measures for applicants 
for  international  protection  and  measures  for  beneficiaries.  They  should  also  take  measures 
adapted to specific needs and remove obstacles for women and children or specific groups such 
as persons with mental health related needs119. The Commission stands ready to further guide 
Member States in making the best use of EU integration funds such as AMIF, the European 
Social Fund+ (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund, including through the 
exchange of good practices120. 

4.  CONCLUSION 

The  progress  already  achieved  by  Member  States,  EU  institutions  and  Agencies,  and  other 
stakeholders during the transition period leading to the full application of the Pact in June is 
significant. Yet, inevitably for a task of such a scale and complex nature involving many actors 
both internally and externally, challenges remain. We are at a stage where Member States need 
to advance on national reforms and prioritise setting up the new procedures and infrastructure 
needed for the Pact to function. In particular, the new Eurodac, screening and the mandatory 
border  procedures,  measures  to  apply  the  new  responsibility  rules  and  the  necessary 
adjustments to national legislation must be in place in June. It is now the time to address the 
remaining gaps. The Commission and the EU agencies remain committed to helping Member 
States in implementing the new framework successfully and on time. 

With a view to ensuring the balance between solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility set 
out  in  the  Pact,  the  Commission  is  also  working  towards  a  balanced  distribution  of  the 
Solidarity Pool and its operationalisation as soon as possible after the Pact starts to fully apply. 
Effective functioning of the solidarity mechanism is indispensable for the Pact to function. All 
Member States must contribute to the solidarity mechanism in accordance with the obligations 
set by the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, and the Commission will take the 
necessary  measures  to  ensure  the  respect  of  these  obligations  by  all  Member  States. 
Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  assess  in  July  and  again  in  October  whether  the  current 
practices  regarding  applicable  transfer  rules  persist  and  thereby  constitute  systemic 
shortcomings  that  could  result  in  serious  negative  consequences  for  the  functioning  of  the 
Asylum and Migration Management Regulation.  

116 E.g. Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia and Poland. 
117 E.g. Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. 
118 E.g. Bulgaria. 
119 See https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025SC0162. 
120 This could be done through the ESF+ Community of Practice on Migrant Integration. 
https://socialinnovationplus.eu/cop/migrant-integration/.  

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Beyond June, the work will continue for Member States, the Commission and the EU agencies 
to jointly ensure that all the elements of the new European migration system are in place and 
effective. The Commission will launch its second Annual Migration Cycle in October 2026, 
including  the  Annual  Asylum  and  Migration  Report,  which  will  provide  a  comprehensive 
overview of the asylum and migration situation in the EU and asses the migratory situation 
Member States are facing. 

24