The European Commission has announced that several EU countries will be eligible to reduce their financial or relocation contributions under the bloc’s new Migration and Asylum Pact, but Hungary — one of the EU’s key border states — was not mentioned.
In its first Annual Migration Management Cycle report published on Tuesday, the Commission said Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Croatia, Austria, and Poland could apply for full or partial deductions from their required solidarity contributions in 2026, citing “cumulative migratory pressures over the last five years.” These deductions would apply to the Solidarity Pool, the EU’s new mechanism obliging member states to either relocate asylum seekers from countries under migratory pressure or pay financial compensation.
Greece, Cyprus, Spain, and Italy were formally identified as being under “migratory pressure” due to high numbers of irregular arrivals, while Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and several others were listed as “at risk.”
Those member states will have priority access to the EU’s Migration Support Toolbox and may receive further assistance, including from a €250 million fund for drone and anti-drone equipment to counter hybrid border threats.
One nation that was not mentioned at all in the report was Hungary, despite its position on the EU’s external border with Serbia and its heavy investment in national border security, often cited by Budapest as a vital contribution to Europe’s collective safety.
Budapest maintains that Hungary continues to face growing migratory pressure, having detained 11,400 illegal migrants who have crossed the border so far this year despite the ramped-up security measures, compared to 9,300 last year.
Last month, Chief Security Advisor to the Prime Minister György Bakondi told M1 that “there are no illegal migrants in Hungary because the government made the right decision in 2015 to close the border.”
He criticized the European Commission for failing to recognize the efforts taken by Hungary, at considerable expense, to protect the external border of the European Union, noting that it is only because Hungary has taken the measures it has — despite the Commission’s insistence that it conform — that the country is not overwhelmed by migration like the other member states cited in the European Commission’s report.
“The Hungarian government’s position is the right one — it serves the interests of both Hungarians and Europeans,” Bakondi concluded.
The Commission noted that recorded illegal crossings fell by 35 percent between July 2024 and June 2025, compared to the previous year, but warned that Europe still faces “continued pressure from irregular arrivals, unauthorized movements within the EU, the hosting of refugees from Ukraine, and the weaponization of migration by Russia and Belarus.”
The Commission wants to make the Migration Pact operational by June 2026, but it will require the Council to approve the proposed Solidarity Pool. Once adopted, each member state will be legally bound to contribute either by taking in a mandated number of migrants or by making equivalent financial or operational contributions.
Brussels has issued the order. They are activating the Migration Pact. I want to make it clear once and for all: as long as Hungary has a patriotic government, we will not implement the Migration Pact. Ceterum censeo: we will not accept migrants and we will not spend a single…
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 12, 2025Hungary, however, has repeatedly rejected the scheme. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, responding to the announcement on Wednesday, wrote on X: “Brussels has issued the order. They are activating the Migration Pact. I want to make it clear once and for all: as long as Hungary has a patriotic government, we will not implement the Migration Pact. Ceterum censeo: we will not accept migrants and we will not spend a single dime on them!”
Orbán’s remarks followed his recent visit to Washington, where he met U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump later told reporters that Brussels should give Orbán more respect, “because he was right on the immigration issue.”
The European Commission’s proposal now moves to the Council for adoption. Once agreed, the size and composition of the Solidarity Pool will be made public, and member states’ contributions will become binding ahead of the Pact’s entry into force in 2026.
