EU to create 2026 Solidarity Fund to support countries facing the greatest migratory pressure

The Council of the European Union has adopted a political decision to establish a new annual Solidarity Fund for 2026, which should become one of the key components of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The creation of this mechanism should provide additional support to member states facing increased migratory pressure and needing operational tools to overcome it.

The Pact on Migration and Asylum will enter into force on 12 June 2026. It will introduce clearer rules on the distribution of responsibility for examining refugee applications and define a new format for solidarity between EU countries. It is expected that in the long term, these measures will contribute to reducing the volume of illegal migration and help stabilise the overall situation at the Union's external borders.

The Solidarity Fund for 2026 will have an indicative volume equivalent to 21,000 resettlements or alternative support measures. In the case of financial contributions, this volume will be equal to 420 million euros. The full cycle of migration management within the Pact will start simultaneously with its entry into force - on 12 June 2026.

Contributions from member states are provided on a voluntary basis. Each state will be able to independently choose the format of participation - resettlement of migrants, financial contributions or other types of solidarity. It is also possible to combine different instruments, depending on national capabilities and political priorities.

According to the European Commission, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain will experience the greatest migratory pressure. These countries will be the first to receive access to the resources of the new fund. At the same time, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland have been identified as states that have experienced significant migratory pressure in previous years. They will be able to apply for a full or partial reduction of their contributions.

States located in the area of ​​migratory risk will also have priority access to the EU Migration Support Toolkit. This includes technical assistance from European agencies and access to funding from relevant funds, which will allow for a faster response to potential challenges.

Once a political agreement has been reached, the EU Council must formally approve the implementing decision - after completing the legal processing and translation of documents. The procedure is expected to be completed by 31 December 2025. The Pact on Migration and Asylum itself, which covers ten legislative acts and regulates all stages of migration management - from initial screening to solidarity mechanisms between Member States - will enter into force on 12 June 2026.

In addition, in November 2025, the European Commission published the first annual report on the situation in the field of asylum and migration, which became the basis for assessing the situation in the Member States and determining the level of their migration burden.