Key facts
- The EU's new Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in May 2024 and effective June 12, aims to reform the bloc's asylum system.
- A new solidarity mechanism requires member states to contribute to supporting countries with high migratory pressure.
- Contributions can include relocation of asylum seekers, operational support, or financial payments.
- Member states choosing not to relocate asylum seekers can pay €20,000 per migrant not received.
- This financial contribution is an alternative to relocation, not a fine for refusing migrants.
- Initial pledges for 2026 indicate a preference for financial contributions over relocations.
Claims circulating in France that the European Union's new Pact on Migration and Asylum imposes fines on member states that refuse to accept migrants have been fact-checked and found to be misleading. The pact, which entered into force on June 12, introduces a solidarity mechanism designed to share responsibilities more equitably among member states facing high migratory pressures.
Under the new rules, all member states are required to contribute to this mechanism. However, relocation of asylum seekers is only one of several options. Countries can opt for other forms of support, such as providing operational assistance or financial contributions. The specific element that has drawn criticism involves a payment of €20,000 for each asylum seeker a country chooses not to relocate. This payment is intended as an alternative contribution to the solidarity mechanism, channeling funds to frontline states, rather than a penalty imposed for non-compliance.
A spokesperson for the European Commission emphasized that member states have full discretion in choosing their solidarity measures. Despite the pact's aim for mandatory but flexible solidarity, initial pledges for 2026 indicate a strong preference among member states for financial contributions or other forms of support over actual relocations, with fewer than 9,000 relocations pledged.