The European Union plans to allow countries to return people who have no right to stay in the EU to so-called return centres in third countries, as the rise of anti-immigration parties forces the bloc to take an increasingly tough stance, Lux Times reports.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, proposes allowing governments to expel unauthorised migrants and asylum seekers to third countries “subject to specific conditions ensuring respect for the fundamental rights of the persons concerned,” according to a draft proposal seen by Bloomberg. The text is still subject to change before it is approved.
The regulation would also create a “European Return Order” that would allow mutual recognition and enforcement between EU countries of decisions that a non-EU citizen must leave the bloc. Currently, decisions taken in one member state that a person must leave the country are not automatically recognised in other member states and require a new procedure.
The Commission’s plan must be approved by EU member states and the European Parliament. Commission officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The idea of return centres has been controversial and attempts to use third countries as part of the asylum process in the UK and Italy have become bogged down in litigation.
A new policy on refugee returns has been a key demand of EU countries since the EU’s asylum and migration pact – a far-reaching package of measures including digitalisation, border protection and so-called solidarity measures to spread the cost or number of asylum seekers – was adopted last year. The pact is not due to be fully implemented until mid-2026.
Data for the third quarter of 2024 show the difficulties the EU has faced in implementing the withdrawal orders. Some 112,335 non-EU nationals were ordered to leave the EU, but only 27,740 were actually returned to third countries.
