Asylum and migration management

Replacing the Dublin rules

Previously, EU rules for determining which EU member state was responsible for processing an individual asylum application fell under the so-called 'Dublin system'.

The old system placed a disproportionate burden on a few member states that were responsible for processing the majority of asylum claims.

To address these challenges, the EU has updated its rules through the asylum and migration management regulation (AMMR), which replaces the previous Dublin system. The AMMR improves the way asylum applications are managed by:

clarifying the criteria and procedures used to determine which member state is responsible for examining an asylum application
helping to prevent asylum applicants from moving onwards to other member states ('secondary movements')
introducing a mandatory but flexible solidarity mechanism to support member states facing migratory pressure

These changes create a more efficient and predictable system, benefiting both member states and people seeking international protection.

The AMMR is part of the EU pact on migration and asylum, a set of rules to manage migration and asylum, strengthen border management and ensure protection standards. It comes into effect on 12 June 2026.

Responsibility criteria

The AMMR has kept the main rules on determining responsibility for examination of an asylum claim. It clarifies these criteria, and streamlines the rules for the transfer of an applicant from one member state to another. Some of the most important changes are as follows:

it has been clarified that asylum seekers are required to apply in the member state of first entry or in the member state of their legal stay; however, if certain criteria are met (e.g. presence of a family member), another member state may become responsible for dealing with that asylum claim
there is a new criterion: if the applicant has a recent diploma (not older than six years) from an EU country, that country should examine the application for international protection
the criteria for reuniting applicants with their families will be made more robust and will cover, in addition to beneficiaries of international protection, applicants residing in a country on the basis of an EU long-term residence permit (including any new-born children)

Prevention of abuse and secondary movements

The AMMR contains revised measures aimed at preventing abuse of the system by asylum seekers and avoiding 'secondary movements'. Secondary movements are when a migrant moves without permission from the country in which they first arrived to seek protection or permanent settlement elsewhere.

These revised measures:

limit the situations in which a member state's responsibility can end and in which responsibility can be shifted between member states; this means that applicants will not have so much scope to choose the member state where their claim is examined
include clear obligations for applicants to remain in the member state that has been identified as responsible, with material consequences in case of non-compliance with the obligations
have shorter time limits for sending requests and receiving replies, thus making the procedure swifter

The duration of a country's responsibility for dealing with an application has been modified as follows:

20 months is how long the member state of first entry will be responsible for the asylum application (previously 12 months)

12 months is how long the responsibility of the member state of first entry lasts if a person was disembarked following a search and rescue operation at sea

after 15 months responsibility for a person whose application was rejected by a member state in the border procedure will end

after 3 years responsibility for a person who absconds in order to evade a transfer will shift to the transferring member state

Solidarity and support measures

The AMMR introduces a solidarity mechanism to ensure that responsibility is shared more fairly among member states.

The mechanism combines mandatory solidarity to support member states dealing with a mass of irregular arrivals with flexibility on how much and what individual member states choose to contribute, at their own discretion.

The EU solidarity coordinator ensures the smooth implementation of the solidarity mechanism and coordinates its operational aspects.

Annual governance cycle: solidarity mechanism in steps

Through an annual cycle of governance, the Commission and the Council ensure that the EU and its member states can respond to migratory pressures and that solidarity is offered where needed.

The yearly cycle begins in October, when the Commission presents a European asylum and migration report which assesses the situation over the previous year and provides a situational picture. The Commission also determines which member states are:

under migratory pressure
at risk of migratory pressure
facing a significant migratory situation

Based on this assessment, the Commission proposes a Council implementing act with reference numbers for the annual solidarity pool.

The Commission must propose at least 30 000 relocations from member states where the most people enter the EU or apply for asylum to member states that are less exposed to such arrivals. Total financial contributions proposed by the Commission must amount to at least €600 million a year.

Next, the Council implementing act is discussed at the high-level EU solidarity forum, which is chaired by the member state holding the rotating Council presidency. By the end of the year, the Council adopts a decision establishing the solidarity pool for the upcoming year. In the decision, the Council determines the size of the pool and each member state's contribution based on their fair share.

Member states can choose to contribute through relocations, financial support, alternative solidarity measures or a combination of those options.

Member states that have experienced cases of disembarkation following search and rescue operations are able to benefit from solidarity measures. An indicative percentage of the solidarity measures might be earmarked for these countries.

On 22 December 2025, the Council adopted the first implementing decision on the solidarity pool for 2026. The figures for this year are 21 000 relocations and €420 million in financial contributions.

Responsibility offsets

Responsibility offsets are a tool to guarantee effective support to member states in need should relocation pledges prove not to be sufficient.

When responsibility offsets apply, instead of other solidarity contributions, a member state contributes by taking over responsibility for the application of a person who is already present on its territory. As a result, the applicant does not need to be transferred to another member state for their application to be examined. These cases count towards the contributing member state's mandatory fair share.