Komisjoni teatis - COM(2026) 196

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

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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 supportseight 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.

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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).

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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.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

15

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.

16

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.

17

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.

18

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.

19

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

PROTECTION AND VULNERABLE PERSONS, AND INCREASED MONITORING OF

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.

20

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.

21

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.