A recent post circulating on X claims that the European Parliament has adopted a "Migration and Asylum Pact" that would compel all EU member states to accept irregular migrants or face substantial fines.
A post gaining traction on X alleges that the European Parliament has endorsed a new “Migration and Asylum Pact”, supposedly forcing every EU member state to accept irregular migrants or face hefty fines.
However, this is inaccurate. The European Parliament has not approved any such legislation; the video is old, and the package approved on 8 December actually speeds up the deportation of irregular migrants. The claim about member states facing fines is also misinterpreted.
What really happened
On 8 December, EU interior ministers met in Brussels and endorsed a set of tougher migration measures. The move comes amid pressure from right-wing and far-right parties to accelerate the return of irregular migrants — individuals who have not been granted a residence permit.
The measures must still be approved by the European Parliament, a step that could allow them to come into force in 2026.
The video included in the post, however, dates from 10 April 2024, when activists disrupted a European Parliament voting session. At that time, MEPs were voting on a separate migration pact, and protesters could be heard chanting: "This plan kills, vote no!"
A 'new migration pact'?
The "Return Regulation" introduces measures aimed at increasing return rates across the EU for individuals without a residence permit.
The directive updates three earlier proposals from the European Commission to tighten controls on the arrival and removal of migrants. It would also impose tougher penalties on those who refuse to leave EU territory, including longer periods of detention.
The measures would allow asylum seekers to be sent to countries other than their own if deemed "safe" by the EU, and would pave the way for "return hubs" — centres located outside the EU for migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected.
EU countries will have a common list of safe countries of origin, including Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco, and Tunisia. In addition to these seven, the European Commission also considers candidate countries for EU membership, such as Turkey and Georgia, to be safe.
"The deal will make it possible for both the EU and one or more member states to make an arrangement or agreement with a third country on return hubs," said Danish immigration minister Rasmus Stoklund.
A solidarity fund or a fine?
Among the measures, the plan includes a "solidarity fund" which allows member states to support countries facing the highest migration pressure, either through relocation of 21,000 asylum seekers or by providing financial aid.
The European Commission has identified "Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Spain as countries under particular pressure". Each member state may choose three types of contributions from relocation, financial aid, or alternative solidarity measures.
For instance, Belgium, expected to host additional asylum seekers, has opted to provide €13 million to member states experiencing high migration pressure.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has strongly criticised the proposed solidarity fund on X, accusing Brussels of "forcing Hungary to pay even more or take migrants in".
He described the plans as "unacceptable" and said that Hungary "will not take a single migrant in, and will not pay for other migrants".
This is not the first time Hungary has refused to comply with EU migration regulations. In June 2024, the European Court of Justice ordered Budapest to pay €1 million per day, in addition to a one-off €200 million, until it complied with EU legislation guaranteeing refugees the right to apply for asylum within its borders.
Balázs Orbán, Orbán's political director, had already criticised the European Commission on X in November, accusing it of underestimating the migration pressure faced by Hungary. He described the measure not as "an objective assessment, but a political message: only those who comply with Brussels’ agenda receive support".
One of the reasons that can explain why Hungary is not considered in the list to receive solidarity funds is that the country is not registered as the most impacted country by first arrivals.
According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on migration flows to Europe by sea and land, the countries most affected by first-arrival migrants in Europe in 2025 are Italy, followed by Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Malta. For 2025 alone, those countries welcomed 145,592 migrants.
Responding to Hungary's position, Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, said he was "saddened that Hungary was not supporting the pact, as it would improve the situation for all EU Member States".
He added that "solidarity is flexible on the one hand but mandatory on the other", and stressed that "the decisions taken cannot be assessed or judged in isolation, but must be viewed collectively".