On December 8, 2025 the European Commission announced that Poland would be excluded from the 2026 migrant relocation framework, joining a small group of other EU states.
Poland Excluded from Relocation Mechanism
On 12 November, Poland filed a formal request to be exempted from the solidarity mechanism of the migrant pact. The request was approved, according to RMF FM, as Brussels had identified Poland, along with Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia and Austria, as countries under “serious migration pressure.” The Commission’s opinion has already been transmitted to Warsaw, and EU diplomats confirmed that the Commission also approved the exemption requests of the remaining five states.
EU Council Decision Just Days Away
According to RMF FM, ministers of internal affairs from the member states will confirm the Commission’s stance on Monday 8 December. This will coincide with the approval of the solidarity pool – the total number of migrants to be relocated in 2026 and its distribution across EU states. Poland’s exclusion is expected to be adopted without controversy.
Lawyers Continue to Analyze Future Rules
The station noted that questions remain about how the exemption will operate once the migrant pact takes effect in June 2026. Some lawyers wonder whether a separate confirmation will be needed for states facing high migration pressure. They point out that formally no country can be removed from a mechanism that is not yet in force.
Was It Inevitable?
Prime Minister Donald Tusk had previously announced that Poland would be exempt from the pact. In October last year he said, “There will be no relocation of migrants in Poland…and we will seal the border with Belarus, which is now the best‑protected frontier in Europe, tighten visa and asylum rules, and Poland will become an example for others.” The decision means the exempt states will not only be free from mandatory relocation and the €20,000 fee per rejected migrant, but they are also to receive financial assistance. The rule will apply only next year.
