Poland will be classified as “under migratory pressure” in recognition of its support for Ukrainian refugees and will be exempted from the European Union migration pact’s requirement to accept migrants from other member states—while Hungary continues to face penalties despite its similar efforts. The exemption rewards Poland’s acceptance of millions of Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with nearly one million still hosted in the country. Poland will now be classified as a nation “under migratory pressure,” eligible for support from Brussels—rather than obliged to take in migrants from other EU member states. Like Poland, Hungary is refusing to accept illegal migrants but, in contrast, faces daily fines for this. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hungary has, like Poland, welcomed and assisted Ukrainian refugees.
