European Union flags wave in the wind in front of the EU headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.Image: keystone
November 11, 2025, 7:44 p.mNovember 11, 2025, 7:44 p.m
Germany can request that it does not have to accept additional migrants from other member states until the end of 2026 under the new EU solidarity mechanism. According to information from the German Press Agency, this emerges from an analysis by EU Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner of the so-called solidarity pool, which is intended to relieve the burden on states with high migration pressure as part of the EU asylum reform. Germany can therefore rely on the fact that it is already taking care of a large number of asylum seekers for whom other EU states would actually be responsible.
Other solidarity contributions such as cash or benefits in kind would therefore not be necessary from the German side. Theoretically, these can be provided by EU states that are obliged to provide support and do not want to accept refugees.
In its analysis, the Commission classifies Greece and Cyprus as well as Spain and Italy as countries that are entitled to solidarity from other EU states in the coming year due to high migration pressure. Greece and Cyprus are therefore under pressure due to a disproportionate number of arrivals last year, Spain and Italy due to numerous sea rescues.
Germany, along with countries such as Belgium, France and the Netherlands, is one of the group of countries that could be at risk of coming under high migration pressure in the coming year due to high numbers of arrivals or strain on the reception systems. According to the Commission’s assessment, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Croatia are in a severe migration situation. This means that they can apply to be fully or partially exempt from solidarity obligations based on the cumulative burdens of the past five years.
“Illegal migration fell by 35 percent last year.”
EU Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner
EU Interior Commissioner is already seeing success from the new migration policy
EU Interior Commissioner Magnus Brunner said of the results of the analysis that it was obvious that Germany had already borne a large part of this solidarity before the new asylum pact came into force. The Federal Republic will therefore benefit significantly from the reform of the asylum and migration system – especially through the new tasks of the member states at the external borders. This included registering new arrivals, conducting security checks and the new border procedure. The latter stipulates that certain migrants could in future be sent to strictly controlled reception centers after crossing the border under prison-like conditions.
Basically, Brunner emphasized that the stricter asylum policy is already having an effect today. “Illegal migration fell by 35 percent last year,” he said.
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner holds a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, November 11, 2025.Image: keystone
The report, which has now been presented for the first time, is considered a decisive step in the implementation of the reform of the European Asylum System (CEAS), which also contains a solidarity mechanism to relieve the burden on member states particularly affected by migration. For him, the EU Commission took into account a wide range of key figures – such as how many illegal border crossings, boat rescues or asylum applications a country registers, as well as the economic performance and population of a country.
According to the CEAS, countries that are particularly burdened are entitled to the solidarity of other member states by either accepting migrants or making a financial contribution. Solidarity can therefore also be achieved by EU states supporting projects against illegal migration to third countries or by making material available.
Stay in the country of arrival
The aim of the compensation: Refugees should stay in the country in which they arrive and not flee to Germany. Countries such as Greece and Italy should also process accelerated asylum procedures at their external borders. The EU countries where most migrants arrive should then be relieved. The EU Commission report forms the decisive basis for this solidarity mechanism.
The member states must now discuss the EU Commission’s proposals for the so-called solidarity pool. They also received detailed figures that were not made public by the EU Commission. (sda/dpa)