In a written answer on 31 July 2026, Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner told the European Parliament that the EU's new solidarity mechanism applies to Spain's migration pressure from the Algeria–Balearic Islands route, but that the Commission has no specific data on secondary movements of those migrants to other member states. Responding to a question from Christine Anderson (ESN), Brunner confirmed that Spain was identified as under migratory pressure for the period July 2024–June 2025 and is eligible for the Solidarity Pool agreed by the Council in December 2025. He stressed that the mechanism does not operate on the basis of specific migratory routes, and that member states will report solidarity measures to the EU Solidarity Coordinator under Article 60(6) of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR), which entered into application on 12 June 2026.
Brunner's answer is largely procedural, offering no numbers on relocations or transfers under the solidarity mechanism, and no assessment of the route's impact on other member states. He noted that the Commission regularly monitors secondary movements using indicators such as asylum applications and take-back requests, but explicitly stated it has no specific information on secondary movements from the Balearic Islands. The answer points to the second Annual Report on the Pact on Migration and Asylum, due in October 2026, as the next opportunity to see implementation data.
The response reflects the Commission's effort to frame the new Pact as a comprehensive, route-agnostic tool, while acknowledging data gaps that may fuel criticism from member states and MEPs concerned about uneven distribution. The absence of route-specific figures could be seen as a limitation for transparency, but the Commission's reliance on the Solidarity Pool and its monitoring framework suggests a preference for systemic solutions over ad-hoc responses. Stakeholders most affected include Spanish authorities, who may seek more concrete support; other member states potentially receiving migrants through secondary movements; and EU institutions tasked with implementing and reporting on the Pact. The answer's vagueness on numbers may disappoint those seeking quantifiable commitments, but it aligns with the Pact's design, which prioritises flexible, member-state-driven solidarity over fixed quotas.