Article 10 (2) (h) of the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 (AMMR) envisages that the European Commission takes FRA’s quarterly bulletins on migration into account when assessing the overall migratory situation or evaluating whether a Member State is under migratory pressure. This bulletin covers developments between 1 April and 30 June 2026.

In the second quarter of 2026, across the Mediterranean, as well as at land borders, risks to life persisted, alongside allegations of violence, summary returns and restricted access to asylum procedures. Gaps in the investigation of rights violations at borders remain, leading to a perception of impunity, which risks undermining the rule of law. At the same time, judicial scrutiny in some Member States and increasing monitoring efforts at national and EU level show evolving accountability mechanisms.

After a six-month transitional period, the Entry/Exit System (EES) came into operation on 10 April 2026. Under the EES, Member States must record travel-document data, date and place of entry, exit or refusal of entry, as well as personal data, including facial images and fingerprints of all third-country nationals travelling for short stays.

As of 12 June 2026, the instruments adopted under the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (Pact) apply. The reform brings new obligations for Member States with respect to fundamental rights of migrants, asylum applicants and refugees. The Pact requires Member States to set up independent national mechanisms to monitor compliance with fundamental rights during screening and asylum border procedures.

Whereas the European Commission proposed a further extension of temporary protection for displaced people from Ukraine, Member States have begun implementing transition schemes to national residence permits for displaced people from Ukraine. Ensuring access to residence permits for vulnerable groups remains sensitive.

At a time when increasing emphasis is placed on deterrence in migration policy, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers adopted the Council of Europe’s Chișinău Declaration in May 2026, reaffirming their commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and their support for the independence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The declaration, which addresses challenges linked to migration, underlines the important contribution of the ECHR system in protecting and promoting human rights and the rule of law in Europe. It stresses that states have primary responsibility for implementing the ECHR and that the Court in Strasbourg ultimately acts as a safeguard in case people’s rights and freedoms are not secured at the national level.

For this bulletin, FRA drew on its own data and expertise. It also drew on its multidisciplinary research network, Franet, for further desk research as well as interviews and written consultations with various stakeholders. Depending on the Member State, these included immigration and asylum authorities, ombuds institutions or national human rights institutions, international organisations and relevant civil society actors. FRA also used findings from its own field missions to Member States.

Under Article 10 of the Screening Regulation, the Commission must also take into account the findings of the independent monitoring mechanisms when assessing the effective application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. FRA draws on their input where relevant.

FRA shared the draft bulletins with national human rights institutions through their European Network ENNHRI, as well as with Member States, relevant EU agencies and the European Commission through the Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint network and with the Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer, integrating the comments received as appropriate.

In addition, FRA used the general-purpose artificial intelligence tools Perplexity and Chat GPT to scan publicly available documents. FRA checked the information generated by these AI tools with respect to its correctness and sources, analysing it alongside more traditional sources of data and information. References to external sources are provided through embedded hyperlinks. Hyperlinks were accessed on 1 July 2026.