(1)

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1350, the Council is to adopt, on the basis of a proposal by the Commission, a two-year Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Plan (the ‘Union Plan’) in the year before the two-year period in which it is to be implemented. It is therefore necessary to establish the Union Plan for the years 2026 and 2027, with the aim of contributing to addressing global resettlement and humanitarian admission needs.

(2)

The Union Plan should take due account of the Projected Global Resettlement Needs identified by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR estimates that, globally, approximately 2,5 million refugees will be in need of resettlement in 2026. The Union Plan should also take into account the priorities identified by the UNHCR and its projections on the regions and third countries from which resettlement and humanitarian admission are primarily expected to take place.

(3)

The Union Plan should set out the total number of admissions the Member States aim to carry out in the implementing period. That target takes due account of the outcome of the meetings of the High-Level Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Committee (the ‘High-Level Committee’) on 7 November 2024 and 17 March 2025, as well as of the voluntary indications given by Member States at the meetings of the High-Level Committee, and subsequent concrete indications with regard to their commitments, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1350.

(4)

The voluntary contributions of Member States are to be considered contingent on Member States’ effective operational ability to implement their programmes, the capacity of their national reception systems and the support available from the EU Agency for Asylum (the ‘Agency’), international and civil society organisations and other relevant partners, as well as other relevant national political and financial considerations.

(5)

In order to specify the regions and countries from which admissions should occur, the Union Plan takes into consideration the discussions held at the High-Level Committee meetings. On the basis of those discussions, the Union Plan takes into account the expertise developed by the Member States and other actors involved while implementing six ad hoc resettlement and humanitarian admission schemes supported by Union funding since 2015. It also takes into account the existing operational infrastructure, such as the Emergency Transit Mechanisms, the Agency Resettlement Support Facility in Türkiye and similar initiatives that might be piloted in the implementing period, and the Emergency Transit Centre in Romania, all of which have a critical role in underpinning the Member States’ resettlement and humanitarian admission operations.

(6)

The Union Plan focuses on regions and countries along the main migratory routes to the Union, with a view to enhancing the protection space along those routes. This is also in line with the route-based approach jointly promoted by the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.

(7)

The Union Plan also recognises the role of demonstrated social links or other characteristics that can facilitate integration in the Member State, including appropriate language skills or previous residence in that Member State. Therefore Member States remain able to decide to give preference to candidates with such demonstrated social links or other characteristics.

(8)

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1350, the Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework is to contribute to strengthening the Union’s partnerships with third countries in regions to which a large number of people in need of international protection have been displaced. The High-Level Committee has also stressed that resettlement and humanitarian admission is to contribute to further strengthening tailor-made and mutually beneficial partnerships with relevant third countries at bilateral, regional, multilateral and international level. Therefore, the Union Plan aims to support hosting countries with which the Union or its Member States are making progress in achieving broad migration management objectives, in line with the comprehensive approach set out in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, in particular Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), and in compliance with international and Union law and on the basis of full respect for human rights.

(9)

Where required by new circumstances, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1350, this Decision is to be amended to include new contributions or contributions to new regions or third countries that fully respect indications on a voluntary basis made by the Member States at the High-Level Committee through the reallocation of existing ones.

(10)

To support the implementation of the Union Plan, the Commission and the Member States are encouraged to make use of existing consultative strategic and coordination bodies, including the Council Working Party on External Aspects of Asylum and Migration. Those consultative bodies should complement and give input into the discussions held at High-Level Committee meetings. Member States are encouraged to make use of all available forums to coordinate efforts with other international strategic partners, including Schengen associated countries, such as the Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.

(11)

Pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2024/1350, in order to ensure adequate monitoring of the implementation of this Decision, Member States are to provide the Commission and the Agency with adequate and timely information and data, in particular in the regular forums (e.g. the High-Level Committee, the Resettlement Expert Group, or the Agency’s Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Network), including on the number of third-country nationals or stateless persons admitted in the territory of the Member States, the type of admission (resettlement, humanitarian admission, emergency admission) and the country from which admissions occurred.

(12)

In accordance with Article 4 of Protocol No 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Ireland has notified, by letter of 27 June 2024, its wish to accept and be bound by Regulation (EU) 2024/1350. Commission Decision (EU) 2024/2093 (3) confirmed that participation. Ireland is therefore taking part in the adoption of this Decision.

(13)

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Decision and is not bound by it or subject to its application,

(a)

countries along the main migratory routes leading to the Union through the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes, with a view to providing access to safe and legal pathways in key transit regions to those in need of protection, to supporting the implementation of a whole-route approach, and to contributing to those countries’ capacity, including by improving reception and international protection conditions;

(b)

countries in the Americas, with a particular focus on Central and Latin America, in particular in the light of the socio-cultural ties that might foster the integration of those admitted into the Union in line with the Union Plan;

(c)

countries with which the Union or its Member States have established a cooperative dialogue or are progressing towards the achievement of broader migration management and international protection objectives.