Image@ Marcel Beloqui Evardone/SIPA/picture alliance
Amid fierce debate over Europe’s identity and values, the European Parliament has voted to overhaul the bloc’s migration rules, empowering member states to deport rejected asylum seekers to detention centres beyond EU borders, a move rights groups have condemned as a historic retreat from humanitarian principles.
The motion passed 418 votes to 218, with 30 abstentions, amid angry scenes on the floor of the parliament in Strasbourg, with members of the Patriots group chanting “send them back” while MEPs from The Left responded with “shame on you.”
At the heart of the new legislation is the concept of so-called “return hubs,” detention facilities located outside EU borders designed to hold people whose asylum cases have been refused or who have been deemed unauthorised to remain in the EU. Under current rules, irregular migrants generally remain on EU territory until deported. Under the new law, people would be forcibly removed to facilities in non-EU countries while awaiting their final deportation.
A non-EU national found to be staying unlawfully in a member state would be obliged to leave “immediately or within a given time,” the European Parliament said. Those who fail to cooperate with authorities or who are deemed a security risk may be detained. The new rules also extend the maximum legal detention period to up to two years and impose entry bans on returned migrants.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed the push, writing in a letter Tuesday that “The Return Regulation will provide the necessary tools to make returns more efficient, with faster and more effective procedures.” Dutch MEP Malik Azmani, who championed the legislation, said: “Today Europe delivered. People rightly expect that those with no right to stay return to their countries of origin. That’s why I have one clear priority: effective, realistic return measures.”
The parliament stressed that agreements enabling return hubs “may only be concluded with third countries that uphold human rights, international law and the principle of non-refoulement.” But that assurance has done little to satisfy critics. Green MEP Melissa Camara warned that “the adopted text gives a green light to cooperation with the Taliban to enable the forced return of Afghan nationals,” calling it “a total renouncement of EU values.”
A group of 70 rights organisations warned in February that the reform would allow for “ICE-style immigration enforcement,” a reference to the aggressive tactics deployed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Trump. UN human rights chief Volker Turk added his voice to the chorus of concern, saying on Monday: “The dehumanization of migrants and refugees, including in the UK, US, and many EU countries, is appalling, often leading also to the denial of their rights.”
Critics also point to a lack of clarity in the text on key details, including where the return hubs will be located, how long people will be held, and how conditions inside the facilities will be monitored or violations addressed.
With migrant arrivals down in 2025, the political focus in Brussels has shifted toward improving the repatriation system, which currently sees only around 20 percent of people ordered to leave the EU actually returned to their country of origin. Opponents of the policy argue it does not address the root causes of migration, including armed conflict, food insecurity, and the suppression of basic freedoms.
The legislation still requires formal approval from the 27 EU member governments before taking effect.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah