In a radical overhaul of the bloc’s migration rules, EU negotiators have approved a controversial plan to speed up deportations and process rejected asylum seekers in third-country centres – a move critics say will undermine fundamental human rights.
Fast-track removals and external centres approved
On June 1, representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the EU finalised the text of an agreement designed to accelerate and increase the number of deportations from the bloc. The deal also allows for migrants to be sent to specialised centres located outside EU territory.
The agreement now awaits ratification by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Once approved, the new rules will form part of a sweeping migration reform due to take effect from June 12.
“An era is coming to an end,” says EU official
Commenting on the essence of the document, the EU commissioner for migration, Magnus Brunner, said the agreement would help the bloc regain control over “who comes to the EU and who is forced to leave.” According to Eurostat, only 27% of migrants are currently refused asylum.
French MEP François-Xavier Bellamy welcomed the move, stating: “For many years, Europe has been sending the worst possible signal: even if you had no right to stay, the chances were high that nothing would happen. That era is coming to an end.”
Human rights concerns raised by critics
However, critics of the deal have warned of a potential deterioration in human rights standards across the EU. Green Party MEP Melissa Camara described the agreement as introducing a “legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology.”
The push for tougher migration legislation was led by a group of countries including Austria, Denmark, Germany and Greece. A key provision of the document envisages deporting migrants to specialised centres in eight to ten states outside the union. Negotiations with such countries are still ongoing. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are among the potential candidates.
