Asylum Report 2026 - Executive summary

In 2025, Europe witnessed a year of transition, a period of restructuring, and a time of strategising and investing in the modernisation of the European asylum and migration architecture, amid a notable decrease in the number of applications for international protection. The implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum was front and centre in European policymaking, attempting to deliver tangible results as early as possible. Initiatives focused on increasing efficiency in asylum procedures, addressing pressure at external borders, and increasing the effectiveness of returns. The national implementation plans have served as a compass to turn the Pact into an operational reality, while expertise and financial resources were provided by the European Commission and assistance given by relevant EU agencies for EU Member States to ensure that their national asylum and reception systems are ready by June 2026.

In an effort to deliver some elements of the Asylum Procedures Regulation (APR) at an early stage, the European Commission presented two proposals on the safe country concepts, an EU list of safe countries of origin and new rules to facilitate the application of the safe third country concept in April and May 2025. The first proposal aimed to frontload APR provisions, according to which applications for international protection from nationals of countries with an EU-wide recognition rate of 20% or lower can be processed under the accelerated or border procedure. The proposal also suggested that safe countries of origin and safe third countries can be designated with exceptions.

The second proposal concerned a revision of the APR with regard to the application of the safe third country concept. It aimed to accelerate asylum procedures and reduce pressure on asylum systems, while maintaining legal safeguards for applicants. The proposed changes made it not mandatory for an applicant to have a connection to the safe third country; transit through a safe third country was established as a sufficient link between the applicant and that country; and the possibility was included of applying the concept even if there is no connection with or transit through a safe country when there is an agreement or a particular arrangement with the third country to this end.

In February 2026, the European Parliament greenlighted the new rules, and the Council formally revised the safe third country concept and adopted the first EU-wide list of safe countries of origin, including Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo[1], Morocco and Tunisia. The EU accession candidate countries are included in the EU list, provided that the following three criteria are satisfied: there is no situation of international or internal armed conflict, no restrictive measures affecting fundamental rights and freedom, and the recognition rate for asylum claims by nationals of these countries is not higher than 20% across the EU.

To complement the legislative framework of the Pact, in March 2025 the European Commission proposed to modernise European policy on returns through a new Common European System for Returns. The regulation foresees common procedures in Member States to issue return decisions and a single European Return Order, which will foster uniformity, transparency and coordination. In November 2025, the European Commission launched the first Annual Migration Management Cycle, comprising:

the European Annual Asylum and Migration Report (EAAMR), which provides a situational picture of asylum and migration in the EU;

European Commission decisions determining Member States’ level of migratory pressure; and

the European Commission Proposal for a Solidarity Pool to address the needs of Member States under pressure.

According to the EAAMR, which covered the period July 2024-June 2025, the migratory situation in the EU improved, but with persisting challenges such as continued pressure from irregular arrivals, unauthorised movement within the EU, and the weaponisation of migration by Russia and Belarus.

Based on the situational analysis provided in the report, the European Commission found that Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain were “under migratory pressure” and eligible to access the EU’s Solidarity Pool when the Pact enters into application in June 2026. Another group of countries, comprising Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Poland were identified as “at risk of migratory pressure”. Finally, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia and Poland were identified as “countries facing a significant migratory situation” because of the cumulative pressure from the previous 5 years. The Council Implementing Decision on the establishment of the annual Solidarity Pool set the needs for 2026 at 21,000 relocations or financial contributions of a total of EUR 420 million, with implementation starting from 12 June 2026.

To set out the EU's political objectives on asylum and migration for the years to come, in January 2026 the European Commission presented a European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy. The strategy serves as a compass to pursue the three main objectives of preventing illegal migration, protecting people fleeing war and persecution, and attracting talent to the EU.

With regard to the external dimension of migration and asylum policy, the EU continued pursuing a whole-of-route approach to migration management by coordinating with various stakeholders. Initiatives included addressing root causes of migration; helping partner countries increase their capacity in border management and countering smuggling networks; contributing to protection solutions for displaced people in different parts of the world; and offering safe and legal pathways to Europe as alternative to irregular migration. In addition to collaboration based on positive incentives, the EU has incorporated the possibility of withdrawing benefits in exceptional situations when existing arrangements are used in ways that pose significant migration and security challenges. To this end, a new regulation entered into force which provides for a revised visa suspension mechanism.