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    Four countries to challenge EU on immigration quotas

    European Newsdesk Posted on

    BRUSSELS: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are preparing to challenge the EU over a new system of migration quotas, insisting they will neither accept additional asylum seekers nor pay compensation for refusing to do so. A compromise remains distant as the four governments harden their positions.

    The European Commission this week unveiled a fresh redistribution plan designed to ease pressures on frontline countries such as Italy, Spain and Greece. Under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, all EU members are required to share responsibility for arrivals in proportion to their GDP and population.

    States can meet their obligations by relocating asylum seekers, contributing 20,000 euros for each person they decline to relocate, or providing operational support in countries deemed under pressure. A mix of these options is also allowed. EU members must now assemble a “solidarity pool” of contributions for 2025, with at least 30,000 relocations and 600 million euros in financial support set as the legal minimum.

    The four central European governments, however, have rejected the entire premise. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country “will not be accepting migrants under the Migration Pact. Nor will we pay for it”, a stance shaped in part by pressure from a conservative opposition that views migration as a red line. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán echoed that message, declaring that Budapest will not implement the pact and will refuse both relocations and payments, positioning migration as a central issue ahead of Hungary’s April elections.

    Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has issued similar warnings, aligning himself with Orbán’s “zero migrant” line. In Prague, incoming Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has also dismissed the quota mechanism on security grounds, with his ANO party calling the pact a direct threat.

    In principle, every EU country must contribute to the solidarity mechanism, although exemptions exist. The Commission has assessed Poland and the Czech Republic as facing “significant migratory situations”, making them eligible to request exemptions. Any exemption must be approved by a qualified majority of member states. If granted, the exempted country is not required to make up its share through alternative means, reducing the overall assistance available to southern states and risking backlash within the European Council.

    The definition of the solidarity pool and the criteria for exemptions remain highly sensitive. EU officials admit it will be politically difficult to grant an exemption to some countries while refusing others. Hungary and Slovakia, which are not classified as under “severe” migratory pressure and therefore cannot formally request exemptions, could still challenge the system on legal or political grounds.

    Diplomats warn that implementation will be fraught. Many governments fear domestic backlash if they accept relocations, meaning resistance could become widespread. One EU diplomat noted that it is unlikely the Commission would impose penalties on multiple non-compliant states, given the political risks.

    With the year drawing to a close and the Commission having already missed a previous deadline, the issue is expected to land on the agenda of EU leaders at the final European Council summit on 18–19 December, where divisions are unlikely to narrow.

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