This analysis by the Spanish Institute for Migration Analysis (IEAM) examines the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, based on official information and data published by the European Commission’s DG HOME. It reviews Pillars 3 & 4, assessing their policy objectives and key implementation challenges.
Pillar 3 - Solidarity and Responsibility
The third pillar of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum focuses on establishing an effective system of solidarity and responsibility among Member States.
The new rules introduce a permanent solidarity framework to ensure that no EU country bears disproportionate pressure. Each Member State can choose how to contribute, whether through the relocations of applicants, financial contributions or operational support. This shared responsibility is supported by EU agencies and dedicated funds, which aim to ensure that Member States have adequate support throughout every stage of the asylum process. The Pact also reinforces the criteria for determining which country is responsible for assessing an asylum application. In addition, the new rules seek to prevent secondary movements by requiring applications to be made in the country of first entry and applicants to remain there until responsibility is determined.
While stronger solidarity among Member States is crucial for managing migration, its implementation still presents important challenges. Allowing Member States to choose how they contribute may lead to a continued preference for financial contributions over relocations, which does not directly relieve pressure on frontline Member States. As a result, first-entry countries will continue to handle a large share of asylum applications, while stricter first entry-rules could also create incentives to evade registration, making enforcement more operationally challenging. Beyond these challenges, EU support must contend with uneven national capacity, which can make it harder to compensate for differences in infrastructure, staffing and financial resources across Member States.
Pillar 4 - International Partnerships
The fourth pillar of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum focuses on developing international partnerships with countries of origin and transit.
The new approach aims to prevent irregular departures by strengthening border management capacities in priority partner countries. Cooperation on return and readmission is also strengthened, alongside efforts to combat migrant smuggling through tailored partnerships with key origin and transit countries, UN agencies and Member States. Finally, the Pact promotes legal pathways that allow third-country nationals to work, study and train in the EU, through mechanisms such as the EU Talent Pool and Talent Partnerships.
Nevertheless, relying on cooperation with non-EU countries presents some key challenges. Cooperation on border management may reduce irregular departures in the short term, but it does not necessarily address the underlying drivers of migration. It should also be noted that smuggling networks are highly adaptable, continuously adjusting their routes and methods in response to increased enforcement. Moreover, effective returns partly depend on the willingness of partner countries to cooperate, leaving the EU with limited leverage. In this context, legal pathways could provide viable alternatives to irregular migration, but their effectiveness will also depend on sustained cooperation and on aligning them with actual labour-market needs.