EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels on 8 December finalised the first Annual Solidarity Pool under the bloc’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum. While member states collectively pledged relocations or €420 million in support for front-line countries, the Czech Republic was formally granted a full exemption from financial payments for 2026.
Prague successfully argued that hosting almost 400,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection already places heavy pressure on housing, healthcare and schools. Under the Pact’s formula, countries deemed to be under “significant migratory pressure” may request relief from the relocation or cash quotas and instead receive solidarity. The Permanent Representation of Czechia to the EU confirmed the waiver minutes after the vote.
![Brussels Exempts Czechia From 2026 EU Migration Solidarity Contributions]()
Practically, the decision frees up tens of millions of euros in the 2026 state budget that might otherwise have been earmarked for EU transfers. For employers, the takeaway is that Czech authorities are unlikely to tighten labour-market access for Ukrainians in the immediate term, preserving a key hiring channel for manufacturing and IT.
However, the incoming ANO-SPD-Motorists coalition has vowed to reject large parts of the Migration Pact once in office, creating policy uncertainty for relocation planners. HR teams should continue to track political signals; any domestic attempts to curb temporary-protection renewals could affect workforce continuity.
The exemption also underscores diverging positions within the Visegrád Group: Poland secured a similar waiver citing border-protection costs, while Hungary remains outside the mechanism after voting against the Pact earlier this year.
Prague successfully argued that hosting almost 400,000 Ukrainians with temporary protection already places heavy pressure on housing, healthcare and schools. Under the Pact’s formula, countries deemed to be under “significant migratory pressure” may request relief from the relocation or cash quotas and instead receive solidarity. The Permanent Representation of Czechia to the EU confirmed the waiver minutes after the vote.
Practically, the decision frees up tens of millions of euros in the 2026 state budget that might otherwise have been earmarked for EU transfers. For employers, the takeaway is that Czech authorities are unlikely to tighten labour-market access for Ukrainians in the immediate term, preserving a key hiring channel for manufacturing and IT.
However, the incoming ANO-SPD-Motorists coalition has vowed to reject large parts of the Migration Pact once in office, creating policy uncertainty for relocation planners. HR teams should continue to track political signals; any domestic attempts to curb temporary-protection renewals could affect workforce continuity.
The exemption also underscores diverging positions within the Visegrád Group: Poland secured a similar waiver citing border-protection costs, while Hungary remains outside the mechanism after voting against the Pact earlier this year.
