CALL FOR EVIDENCE

FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment)

Title of the initiative

Migration & asylum – Five-year European migration and asylum strategy

Lead DG – responsible unit

DG HOME – Unit A.1

Likely Type of initiative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

Indicative Timing

Q4-2025

Additional Information

Pact on Migration and Asylum

This document is for information purposes only. It does not prejudge the final decision of the Commission on whether this initiative will be pursued or on its final content. All elements of the initiative described by this document, including its timing, are subject to change.

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

As outlined in the 2024-2029 Political Guidelines of President von der Leyen and in the mission letter of Commissioner Brunner, migration is a European challenge that must be met with a European solution. The legislative package of the Pact on Migration and Asylum adopted in 2024 aims to provide protection to people who need it, protect EU borders, ensure fair and efficient procedures and manage migration in an orderly way with solidarity at its core.

The Pact sets out a comprehensive approach to migration and asylum. This includes a continued focus on the EU internal dimension, mainly driven by the preparation for the entry into application of the new legal framework in June 2026, as well as on the external dimension, which calls for strengthening comprehensive partnerships with key non-EU countries and cooperation with international partners at regional and global level.

At the same time, the implementation of the Pact is a dynamic rather than one-off process that must be informed by a strategic outlook that balances the different aspects and interests in EU migration and asylum policy in the medium- to long term. As required by Article 7 of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation 1 , Member States have prepared and transmitted to the Commission their national asylum and migration management strategies.

On this basis, the Commission is tasked with drawing up the first long-term European asylum and migration management strategy for the next five years. It will frame our forward-looking vision to ensure the consistent implementation of national strategies and set out the direction for the next steps at European level so that the Pact delivers its full potential.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

Article 78 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) established the common policy on asylum, subsidiary protection and temporary protection, while Article 79 established a common immigration policy. It spans a broad range of areas where the EU has established a legal framework and/or operational cooperation with significant financial support to Member States. It covers: (i) the common European asylum system; (ii) the prevention of irregular migration and fight against migrant smuggling; (iii) return and readmission; (iv) legal migration and legal pathways to protection; and (v) integration.

The EU migration and asylum policy is linked to the establishment of an area without internal border controls. The EU border management policy is based on Article 77 TFEU, according to which the EU is to develop a policy to “(i) ensure the absence of any controls on people, whatever their nationality, when crossing internal borders; (ii) carry out checks on people and efficiently monitor the crossing of external borders; and (iii) ensure the gradual introduction of an integrated management system for external borders”.

The EU’s migration, asylum and border management policy has become a matter of great political sensitivity. In public opinion surveys, migration regularly features among the main concerns of European citizens. According to them, the EU should take measures in the medium term in the area of security and defence (39%), followed by the economy (29%), migration (24%) and climate and environment (24%) 2 . Young Europeans consider irregular migration (29%) as one of the EU’s biggest challenges. 26% of them believe that irregular migration should be one of the EU’s top priorities 3 .

On 1 January 2024, there were 29 million non-EU nationals residing in the EU, representing 6.4% of the total EU population. This is a significant and rapid increase compared to 1 January 2022 (23.8 million, 5.3%), driven by the high number of displaced people from Ukraine, most of whom are currently benefiting from temporary protection in the EU. As of 25 June 2025, there were 4.5 million active temporary protection registrations of displaced persons from Ukraine in the EU.

In 2024, Member States issued 3.7 million first-time residence permits, of which nearly two thirds for work and family reasons, and 9.7 million short-term Schengen visas. Labour migration plays an important part in the EU’s competitiveness, given demographic challenges and skills gaps that require a dual focus: maximising the potential of the domestic workforce, while attracting talent. The working age population in the EU is estimated to decline from 265 million in 2022 to 258 million in 2030 4 . This will exacerbate the labour shortages faced by the EU. Nearly 3% of jobs across the EU remain vacant, even after efforts to upskill, reskill and activate the domestic workforce. Moreover, three quarters (74%) of small businesses in Europe face skills shortages for at least one job role in their company.

The EU registered around 240 286 irregular border crossings in 2024, much less than the 1.8 million registered in 2015 at the peak of the refugee crisis.

In 2024, 996 805 applications for international protection were lodged in the EU, 12% less than in 2023 (1.1 million), which was the highest number of applications since the peak recorded in 2015/2016. In 2024, the EU recognition rate stood at 42% for first-instance decisions.

The EU faces an overall low return rate of non-EU nationals who do not have the right to stay. In 2024, the effective return rate (the proportion of those who were effectively returned and those ordered to leave the EU) stood at just 24%.

In the face of these multifaceted challenges and opportunities together with an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, the EU needs to step up its efforts to implement a comprehensive approach to managing regular and irregular migratory flows towards the EU. The adoption of the Pact on Migration and Asylum in 2024 was an important step in that direction.

For the Pact to fully deliver in practice, long-term investments in building an efficient and resilient asylum and migration management system in Europe and mutually beneficial partnerships with partner non-EU countries are necessary. The long-term European asylum and migration management strategy aims to further develop this comprehensive approach, setting the direction for the next five years at European level.

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Legal basis

Article 8 of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation requires that the first long-term European asylum and migration management strategy is adopted by 12 December 2025.

Practical need for EU action

An EU-wide asylum and migration management strategy is necessary to set strategic orientations for the EU migration policy.

B. What does the initiative aim to achieve and how

The long-term European asylum and migration management strategy aims to build on the comprehensive approach to migration developed by the Commission in recent years. This will ensure that the newly adopted legal framework for migration and asylum reaches its full potential in line with President von der Leyen’s Political Guidelines for 2024-2029 and Commissioner Brunner’s mission letter.

Based on a situational picture at EU level, the strategy will outline key priorities over the next five-year period. It will include medium- and long-term objectives, and identify key initiatives that will contribute to the efficient implementation of the Pact, while considering additional initiatives to complement it in a comprehensive manner. It will also set the scene in relation to the use of the next multiannual financial framework and the role of EU agencies (European Union Agency for Asylum, European Border and Coast Guard Agency, European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice). Moreover, it should build upon the national strategies adopted by the Member States and reflect the integrated policymaking/whole-of-government approach.

As set out in Articles 4 and 5 of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation, the objectives of the strategy will include elements related to:

1.Internal aspects:

oBorder management: Improving the management of external EU borders to ensure security and orderly migration.

oRespect for international law: Ensuring compliance with international and EU obligations, in particular for individuals rescued at sea.

oProtection procedures: Facilitating swift and fair access to international protection processes for asylum seekers.

oResponsibility allocation: Clearly defining which Member State is responsible for processing asylum applications.

oSecondary movements: Implementing measures to deter and prevent the unauthorised movement of non-EU nationals across Member States.

oReception conditions: Ensuring applicants have access to adequate reception facilities.

oReturn procedures: Efficiently managing the return of individuals who do not have the legal right to stay.

oIntegration support: Encouraging integration of those granted international protection.

oExploitation prevention: Tackling exploitation and reducing illegal employment.

2.External aspects:

oLegal migration pathways: Promoting legal migration channels for those needing protection and others seeking residence.

oSupport for hosting countries: Helping non-EU countries that host large migrant and refugee populations strengthen their management capacities while respecting human rights.

oIrregular migration prevention: Combating migrant smuggling and human trafficking, addressing vulnerabilities, and allowing legitimate applications for international protection.

oAddressing migration drivers: Tackling the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement.

oReturn and reintegration: Strengthening effective return, readmission and reintegration measures.

oVisa policy implementation: Ensuring consistent implementation of the common visa policy.

The strategy will be grounded in the principle of solidarity and fair responsibility-sharing as outlined in Article 80 of the TFEU. The aim is the effective functioning of the EU’s asylum and migration management policies, with the shared interest of all Member States.

Likely impacts

The EU’s five-year European asylum and migration management strategy will act as a strategic framework, guiding the development and implementation of EU migration and asylum policy in the coming years. It will consist of a Commission Communication and will not include modifications to existing legislation or new legislation. However, its recommendations and proposed actions, if implemented, are likely to have a significant impact on various stakeholders.

Future monitoring

The EU’s five-year European asylum and migration management strategy is a strategic document, whose progress and effectiveness will be monitored based on the implementation of the proposed actions. 

C. Better regulation

Impact assessment

The proposed strategy will set out broad policy aims and will benefit from the Commission’s analysis set out in its Communication of 11 June on the state of play on the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum 5  and in its annual report on the implementation of the Pact planned for October 2025. It will also be informed by continuous exchanges with Member States on the state of implementation of their national plans to implement the Pact and their needs to do so effectively and successfully. It is a non-legislative initiative. An impact assessment is not needed at this stage.

Consultation strategy

Article 8 of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation provides that the strategy should take into account: (a) the implementation of the national asylum and migration management strategies of the Member States and their compliance with EU and international law; (b) relevant information gathered by the Commission pursuant to Recommendation (EU) 2020/1366 on an EU mechanism for preparedness and management of crises related to migration; (c) information collected by the Commission and the Asylum Agency on the implementation of the EU asylum acquis; (d) information gathered from the European External Action Service and relevant EU bodies, offices and agencies, in particular reports by the Asylum Agency, Frontex and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights; (e) any other relevant information, including from Member States, monitoring authorities, international organisations, and other relevant bodies, offices, agencies or organisations.

By publishing this call for evidence on the Have Your Say portal, the Commission intends to consult stakeholders on the above-mentioned challenges and the design of the long-term European asylum and migration management strategy for the next five years. This consultation aims to collect information, expertise and views from all interested parties to inform the preparation of the strategy. These stakeholders include:

- EU citizens, nationals of non-EU countries;

- civil society organisations;

- academia, business associations, public authorities.