BRUSSELS — The European Union reached a provisional agreement Monday to overhaul its migration policy by accelerating deportations and permitting member states to establish detention centers outside EU territory. The deal was struck during a trilogue negotiation among the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament.
Under the new framework, EU nations will be allowed to enter bilateral agreements with non-EU countries to construct so-called 'return hubs' for migrants without legal status. At least five member states—Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece—are already in talks with countries in Africa to develop such facilities, following a model used by Italy in its agreement with Albania.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the measures aim to prevent a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis, when approximately 1 million people arrived in Europe seeking asylum due to conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. “The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” said Nicholas Ioannides, deputy migration minister for Cyprus.
Silvia Carter, spokesperson for the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, said, “The Regulation is going to create a draconian detention and deportation machine.” She added, “Across the Atlantic, we see the violence and fear created by ICE's brutal immigration enforcement. Europe should be learning from the harms of that model, not building its own version of it.”
French lawmaker Mélissa Camara, a member of the Greens, called the deal “a historic setback” for human rights in the bloc. “The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete,” she said.
The provisional agreement now moves to EU lawmakers and national leaders for final approval, a step expected to proceed quickly. The policy shift follows electoral gains by right-wing parties in several EU countries in 2024 and reflects a broader trend of tightening migration controls across the bloc.