The EU Council announced that it has adopted a decision to introduce a scheme for the solidarity distribution of migrants in the EU next year. The scheme will support countries affected or most vulnerable by migration flows, including Bulgaria.

The new rules will enter into force from mid-2026 and will clarify which EU country is responsible for examining migrants' applications for international protection. Going forward, the revised European migration rules are expected to bring relief to all European countries, the statement said.

It is planned to provide resettlement places for 21,000 migrants next year and a financial contribution of 420 million euros. Under the scheme, EU countries that do not want to accept resettled migrants will have to make contributions to the common budget. All EU countries have already indicated how they will contribute to the common goals.

Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain will be given the opportunity to resettle migrants next year. Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland will have the right not to contribute to the schemes due to significant migratory pressure. Countries under pressure will be able to count on priority access to EU support measures, including funding, the announcement specifies.

🇪🇺 Under pressure from the right and the extreme, the 27 countries of the European Union ont entériné lundi a net hardening of their migration policy, notably opening the way to the sending of migrants to centers located outside the borders of the EU.

— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) December 8, 2025