Information
The European Union has unveiled a new plan to streamline deportations and establish “return hubs” in non-EU countries, aiming to address the low rate of migrant returns. The proposal would create unified regulations across all 27 member states, allowing immigration authorities in one country to enforce deportation orders issued by another. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, only about 20% of those with return decisions currently leave Europe, a figure the EU finds unacceptably low. The plan also introduces the option for member states to send rejected asylum seekers to third countries, broadening the scope of deportation beyond the migrants’ countries of origin or transit.
However, the proposal has faced strong criticism from rights groups, who argue it undermines the right to asylum and risks human rights violations. These “return hubs” — effectively deportation centres in non-EU countries — would hold rejected asylum seekers until they could be sent back to their home countries. Critics warn this approach could lead to more detentions, family separations, and the deportation of individuals to unfamiliar nations. While the EU would not directly manage these centers, it plans to negotiate with third countries that are willing to accept deportees. Activists, like Marta Welander from the International Rescue Committee, have condemned the strategy, arguing it prioritizes keeping migrants “out of sight and out of mind” rather than addressing the root causes of migration or offering sustainable solutions.
Source: AFP, AP, dpa
So what
Though there are likely some significant risks with conducting these types of deportations, the EU likely has to take action on migration, or they will likely see continued boosts in right-leaning political parties. Additionally, rules such as this will possibly discourage a significant percentage of future immigration, meaning fewer will likely die in transit and lower the levels of welfare required in the future.
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