Rudolph Angler Only 14 EU countries have submitted their National Implementation Plans required under the new Migration and Asylum Pact. Almost half of Member States, including Poland, Italy, and Hungary, missed the 12 December deadline to provide these plans.
National Implementation Plans detail actions, timelines, and costs for adapting to the pact’s new rules, adopted in May 2024 after lengthy debates. A European Commission spokesperson confirmed: “We are supporting remaining Member States to submit their plans as soon as possible.” The Commission has warned it may take proportionate measures if delays continue, while aiming for the pact to take full effect by mid-2026.
Poland’s Resistance to Migration Pact Provisions
Poland has made clear it will not submit its plan soon. A source close to the government, led by Donald Tusk, described the pact as “incomplete.” Warsaw is prioritizing eastern border security amid tensions with Belarus over irregular crossings. Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak expressed satisfaction with recent European Commission approval for a time-limited suspension of asylum rights near Poland’s borders.
Poland has long opposed the pact’s provision to relocate 30,000 asylum seekers or pay €20,000 for each rejected relocation. Poland and Hungary voted against the legislation in the Council. Frontex reported 16,530 irregular crossings at the Eastern Land border in 2024, mostly by Ukrainian nationals with temporary EU protection. Poland received 9,519 asylum applications in 2023, according to the European Agency for Asylum.