Migration management remains one of the EU's key challenges, requiring swift, coordinated responses from Member States and strong EU support in a complex geopolitical context. To strengthen EU's capacity to address these challenges, the European Commission, on 16 July 2025, proposed a Regulation establishing Union's support for asylum, migration and integration, as part of the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The proposed instrument sets out an increase of EU funding for asylum and migration policies. The budget allocation for migration and asylum amounts to around €12 billion, compared with the €10.9 billion for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in the 2021-2027 MFF. This represents around 15% of the €81 billion funding allocated to HOME affairs. Notably, the largest share of the overall allocation is earmarked for border management and internal security.
Building on this financial commitment, Union support for asylum, migration and integration will focus on four objectives: (1) strengthening the Common European Asylum System; (2) ensuring effective, safe, and dignified return and combating irregular migration; (3) promoting legal migration and integration; and (4) reinforcing solidarity and fair responsibility-sharing among Member States.
Under the new MFF, asylum, migration, and integration policies will be consolidated into a single integrated fund within a broader framework that also covers economic, social, and territorial cohesion, agriculture, fisheries, and security. This shift introduces National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs) as the main governance tool for Member States, replacing separate operational programmes. The proposed financial governance model also incorporates a performance-based funding approach and greater flexibility in the allocation of funding. While these changes are intended to improve efficiency, they also raise challenges with regard to predictability, transparency and ensuring the meaningful involvement of local and regional authorities in managing funds under NRPPs.
In preparation of the CoR opinion "Union Support for Asylum, Migration and Integration Management 2028-2034", rapporteur Arnoldas Abramavičius (LT/EPP), Councillor of the Zarasai District Municipality Council, will hold a stakeholders' consultation to gather relevant insights on the proposal and its local and regional implications. The consultation is open to experts and representatives of international organisations, civil society, including non-governmental organisations, think tanks and academia, networks and associations of local and regional authorities, as well as representative offices of EU regions, among others.
The consultation will take place on 17 February from 15:00 to 16:30 (CET) in a hybrid format: on site at the CoR premises (Bâtiment Jacques Delors Rue Belliard 99-101, Brussels) and online. A Teams link will be sent in due course to registered participants. If you are interested in participating, please register via EU survey by 13 February 12:00 (CET).
The meeting will be held in English only, without interpretation. Interpretation through AI tools could be used, subject to prior agreement of the participants.
Regardless of participation in the stakeholders' meeting, stakeholders are encouraged to share their insights by responding to the questions related to the Commission's proposal for the Union's support for asylum, migration and integration: here. Your feedback will be considered in the preparation of the draft opinion.