BRUSSELS — Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus have been considered "under migratory pressure" by the European Commission in its first Annual Asylum and Migration Report, unveiled on Tuesday.

These countries were interested last year in a "disproportionate level" of migrant arrivals, including those rescued at sea.

Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus will therefore benefit in 2026 from the solidarity of other EU member states, which could be expressed by relocating asylum seekers over their territory or by financial contribution.

Together with this assessment, the Commission proposed to the EU 27 member states the Annual Solidarity Pool, a mechanism to determine the total number of asylum seekers to be relocated and the amount each country should allocate, or to compensate for by paying.

The pool's proposal is not public. It will be discussed by the EU member states, which are set to decide the size and the solidarity share for each country by the end of the year.

Each member state -- excepting the ones under migratory pressure -- has to contribute in proportion to its population and total GDP, and could choose among three options to meet the needs outlined in the solidarity pool: relocating a certain number of asylum seekers to their own territory, pay €20,000 per person they do not relocate, or finance operational support in member states under migratory pressure.

The final decision will be taken by EU countries by a vote at qualified majority, with the minimum size for the solidarity pool set by law at 30,000 relocations and €600 million in financial contributions.

The Commission's report also identifies 12 states "at risk of migratory pressure": Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Finland.

These countries are required to provide solidarity to those under migratory pressure, but their situation will be reevaluated to avoid disproportionate obligations in the next year.

A third group of countries has been classified as "facing a significant migratory situation": Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, Poland. They are still required to provide solidarity, but can ask for an exemption to their quotas, which has to be certified by the Commission and approved by other member states.

The report and the solidarity pool are the basis for developing the system of "mandatory solidarity" envisaged in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the major reform of migration policy adopted in 2024. — Euronews