EU migration pact: what it means for Poland and Europe

The migration pact is now in force. All EU states must apply solidarity when taking in migrants. We explain what this means for Poland and debunk myths. The problem of uncontrolled migration to the European Union has persisted for a long time. The issue intensified after 2015, following remarks by then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel that were widely interpreted as an open invitation to come to the EU. The EU and its institutions are still working to develop common solutions and build a coherent migration policy. This is largely happening under pressure from the countries most affected by the phenomenon, namely Greece, Spain, Cyprus and Italy: sea borders are much harder to police, which is why most irregular migrants enter the Union through these states. The Jean-Claude Juncker Commission, and specifically the then EU commissioner for migration, proposed that all member states should share the burden of receiving migrants through a relocation mechanism. Countries that refused to take part would face financial penalties – there was even a proposal to charge 200,000 euros for every migrant not accepted. In 2018, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria rejected mandatory relocation at an EU summit. However, neither the problem nor the idea disappeared. For the past two years, work has been underway on a migration pact to amend the current migration policy. Here are the key points of the migration pact: Common rules For the first time, all 27 member states will have to apply a single set of rules on border controls, asylum procedures, reception conditions and the solidarity mechanism for relocating asylum seekers between countries. Moving away from the 'first country' rule Until now, the Dublin system has applied, under which responsibility for a migrant rested with the country the migrant first reached. So if someone arrived in the EU by sea in Greece, then Athens was responsible. If such an irregular migrant was deported from, for example, Germany or Belgium, they were sent back to Greece. This rule will now cease to apply. The principle of 'compulsory solidarity' This means that all EU countries will share responsibility for migrants who enter the Union. They will either take them in (the number to be taken by each state will be calculated on the basis of factors such as population, GDP and the country’s overall situation) or contribute financially: either by paying an equivalent amount if they refuse to accept migrants, or by providing funds, for example, for building infrastructure. EU countries have been divided into three categories: Countries benefiting from the Pact: Cyprus, Greece, and Spain. Migrants staying in these countries will be partially redistributed to other member states, and Cyprus, Greece and Spain will also receive financial support. Countries under pressure: this group includes, among others, Poland, Croatia, Austria, Estonia and Czechia. Some member states are in an exceptional situation. In Poland’s case, already a massive influx of refugees from Ukraine and, at the same time, an imminent migration crisis on the border with Belarus. Therefore, temporarily exempt from the solidarity mechanism. Assisting countries, meaning all the remaining member states. They will be required to help resolve the migration crisis either by accepting migrants or by contributing financially. In December 2025, based on a report, it was calculated that the relocation pool for 2026 would amount to 21,000 people. So far, Slovakia and Hungary have announced that they will not accept anyone. The pact will be a permanent mechanism. Every year, the European Commission will draw up a report on the migration situation in each member state. Countries will be able to request an exemption from the system on the grounds of an emergency situation, but the final decision will rest with the Commission. In the middle of each year, the Commission will also review the situation, checking how the pact is working in practice. What is not in the Pact Contrary to widespread belief, the migration pact itself does not provide for the creation of return centres outside the EU. That proposal appears in a different EU document, namely the regulation on a common system for returning migrants. It contains provisions to extend the possible detention period to two years and to introduce a double-entry ban. Under this scheme, EU countries would be able to sign agreements with third countries to set up migrant centres there. The government of Giorgia Meloni was the first to test this approach, signing such agreements with, among others, Albania. Legal problems soon emerged, however: courts in Italy ruled it unlawful, and the Court of Justice of the EU also raised objections. Ultimately, the regulation would clarify the legal situation. The remaining challenge would be to persuade non-EU countries, generally through financial incentives, to sign such agreements. The regulation will be put to a vote in the European Parliament next week during the plenary session. What this means for Poland Because of the war in Ukraine and the crisis on the Belarusian border, Poland has been temporarily exempted from the obligation to relocate migrants in 2026. However, this exemption is not permanent. The situation will be reassessed in the middle of the year, when the Pact's functioning is reviewed, and again in December, when the Commission presents its report. If the Commission finds that Poland is still facing an emergency situation, the relocation obligation will be lifted for another year. If it concludes that the pressure on Poland has eased, the obligation will then also apply to us.