In a written answer on 31 July 2026, Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner clarified that beneficiaries of temporary protection under Directive 2001/55/EC are included in the indicators used to assess whether Member States are under migratory pressure under the Migration Pact's solidarity mechanism. Responding to a question from Rihards Kols (ECR), Brunner confirmed that the number of registrations of temporary protection beneficiaries is taken into account as an indicator in the methodology applied under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1351. However, he acknowledged that reception data is not yet of adequate quality for reliable cross-country comparison due to significant differences in national reception systems and missing key data breakdowns. The Commission is working with Member States to improve reception data collection, and the methodology will be refined as more robust Eurodac and reception data become available.
The answer addresses a question about the legal basis for including or excluding temporary protection beneficiaries in the calculation of migratory pressure. Brunner stated that the methodology, developed in consultation with Member States and explained in a Commission Staff Working Document (SWD(2025) 792 final), aggregates elements listed in Articles 9 and 10 of the regulation, including asylum applications and reception capacity. He did not specify a separate legal basis for the inclusion, implying that it falls within the general framework of the regulation. The answer also noted that Member States under migratory pressure are eligible to receive solidarity, while those facing a significant migratory situation may receive a full or partial deduction of their solidarity contributions.
The clarification is significant for host states bearing a disproportionate share of temporary protection beneficiaries, as their inclusion in the assessment could affect their eligibility for solidarity measures such as relocation, financial, and operational contributions. The Commission's acknowledgment of weak reception data suggests that current assessments may not fully capture the burden on these states, but the ongoing refinement of the methodology aims to address this. No specific timeline was given for when improved data would be available, but the Commission's commitment to working with Member States signals a continued effort to strengthen the evidence base for future decisions under the Migration Pact.