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EU member states agree on redistribution of 21,000 asylum seekers

by AI | 08.Dec 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The European asylum and migration ministers agreed on Monday at a meeting in Brussels on how they want to provide support next year to member states under heavy migration pressure. Belgium will pay a maximum of 12.9 million euros for this.

The Belgian Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt. (photo Nicolas Maeterlinck, Belga)

The new European asylum and migration pact, which will enter into force in June 2026, includes a solidarity mechanism for the annual redistribution of 30,000 asylum seekers from member states that are under heavy migratory pressure. Member states that do not want to take in asylum seekers can also pay a financial contribution of 20,000 euros per asylum seeker.

After months of negotiations on this politically sensitive dossier, the ministers agreed on Monday on the effort for 2026. Because the pact will only enter into force in the course of the following year, only 21,000 relocations are assumed, or a maximum of 420 million euros in financial contributions.

The European Commission had previously indicated that Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus must be able to benefit from the solidarity mechanism next year. The precise arrangements on transfers and payments are confidential, but Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt had already made it clear that Belgium opts for financial contributions.

According to her own words, Van Bossuyt has made efforts to limit the Belgian contribution. It would be capped at a maximum of 12.9 million euros, whereas initially 18.5 million euros was mentioned. “But we continue to work on a further reduction. For example, today we immediately sat down with the competent Greek minister,” the minister states.

(Brussels, 8/12/2025)