Illegal border crossings across the European Union fell by 32 percent between July 2025 and June 2026, while asylum applications dropped by 16 percent to 730,800, according to a report published on Friday by the European Commission, according to Euronews. The Commission named Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus as states under migratory pressure.
The second annual report on asylum and migration marks the first comprehensive assessment since the Pact on Migration and Asylum came into full effect on 12 June 2026. Across the bloc, the return rate rose to 31 percent from 26 percent, and unauthorized movements within the bloc fell by about 13 percent. The European Commission projects a further decline in 2027.
Cyprus and Greece Face Divergent Pressures
In Cyprus, irregular border crossings fell by 34 percent during the reporting period, driven primarily by a drop in arrivals from Syria and ongoing operational cooperation with Lebanese authorities. Cyprus ranks third in the bloc for irregular arrivals and second for international protection applications relative to its GDP and population.
Greece bucked the European trend by recording the highest number of irregular crossings and asylum applications relative to its size, with arrivals on the island of Crete surging by 105 percent.
Spain Joins the 2027 Solidarity Mechanism
Spain joined the group of states under pressure following an incident at the end of July in Ceuta, where about 72,000 people entered illegally from Morocco on July 30 and 31. The Commission took account of the arrival of around 72,000 people entering illegally from Morocco at Ceuta on July 30 and 31, noting that Spain was found to be under pressure.
The framework establishes the mechanism for moving asylum seekers throughout the EU during 2027 to support Spain, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus next year. All member nations not currently facing migratory pressure must provide contributions based on their gross domestic product and population size. Nations can take in asylum seekers directly, make a financial contribution of €20,000 for each unaccepted individual, or provide financial and operational assistance to front-line countries.
Member state governments will finalize the total capacity of the pool along with individual national allocations by the close of the year. The Council of the European Union must organize the High-Level Solidarity Forum within a 15-day window after the Commission releases its proposal.
Within its findings, the document additionally identified Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Finland as the 15 nations vulnerable to potential migratory strain. These countries must show solidarity with the states under pressure, though their situation will be reassessed to avoid disproportionate obligations the following year.
The evaluation of prior state solidarity efforts within the Annual Asylum and Migration Report pointed out concerns regarding Slovakia and Hungary. During national governance periods, fewer than 9,000 asylum seekers were effectively relocated against an agreed reference figure of 21,000.
An official from the European Union remarked that current regulations permit the executive body to halt solidarity support to a stressed member state if it neglects its duties, though specifying This is not the case for the time being.