Asylum Report 2025 - Executive summary

Four years after it was proposed by the European Commission as a comprehensive framework for managing migration and asylum in Europe, the Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted by the European Parliament on 10 April 2024 and by the Council on 14 May 2024. The adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum equipped the EU with a modern, robust and flexible architecture of legal and operational instruments to address evolving protection needs at a global level. Following the successful closure of the legislative process, Member States started putting in place the necessary legal, administrative and practical arrangements for the application of the Pact provisions. To guide this work, the European Commission issued the Common Implementation Plan for the Pact on Migration and Asylum (CIP) in July 2024, setting specific milestones to be achieved by a foreseen timeline.

Drawing from the guidance provided in the CIP, EU+ countries developed their individual National Implementation Plans. Member States coordinated efforts and brought together all authorities foreseen to be involved in the implementation of the Pact to provide input, cross-fertilise ideas and develop action plans for the way ahead. Regional administrations were involved in the process for areas under their jurisdiction, such as social affairs, education and integration. Preparing for the implementation of the Pact has been a particularly resource-intensive process for Member States. A reform of such scale and complexity requires extensive financial, administrative and human resources. This is challenging the capacity of many Member States, especially while they maintained business continuity in processing a constantly high inflow of applications.

During the implementation process, EU Agencies played a pivotal role by sharing resources and expertise. Through its dedicated Pact Programme, the EUAA provided support in a number of ways, including through dedicated training and the development of guidance documents, quality tools, standards and indicators to support the practical implementation of the Pact.

Since the presentation of the Pact proposals in 2020, a number of actors have expressed that certain provisions may require special attention to ensure full compliance with fundamental rights. Above all, to the fact that that EU institutions and Member States must ensure the provision of adequate resources to duly guarantee the effective application of procedural safeguards and full adherence to respect for fundamental rights of people seeking protection in the EU.

Amidst the developments related to the adoption and implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the European policy agenda focused on efforts to effectively control the EU’s external land and sea borders and initiatives to further address trafficking in human beings.  The European Commission and civil society organisations continued to hold consultations throughout 2024, while numerous projects carried out by civil society organisations are financed by the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs.

In 2024, the EU continued to provide its unwavering political, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine and hosted millions of displaced persons from Ukraine. The decision of the Council of the European Union in June 2024 to extend temporary protection until March 2026 provided stability and security to about 4.4 million beneficiaries of temporary protection residing in EU countries. The increasing complexity of the international geopolitical landscape and diplomacy makes it difficult to predict developments with the situation in Ukraine and the migration of Ukrainians into Europe.

With regard to the external dimension of migration and asylum policy, the EU continued to pursue comprehensive partnerships with countries of origin and transit, including efforts to address root causes of irregular migration; increasing capacity in managing borders and fighting human trafficking; providing protection solutions to displaced populations around the world; and offering safe and legal pathways to Europe as an alternative to irregular migration.

In its role to ensure a harmonised interpretation and application of EU law, in 2024 the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued approximately 20 judgments and orders interpreting various provisions of CEAS. For more information, read Jurisprudence related to asylum pronounced by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2024, Fact Sheet No. 32.