The European Union on Tuesday unveiled a new migration proposal aimed at increasing deportations of people with no legal right to stay in the bloc.
The plan includes provisions for member states to establish “return hubs” in non-EU countries, where rejected asylum seekers would await deportation. It also seeks to harmonize regulations across the 27-member bloc, allowing immigration authorities to enforce deportation orders issued by another EU country.
Currently, only about one in five people ordered to leave the EU actually do so.
“It needs to be clear that when someone is issued a return decision, they are actually being told to leave, not just the country, but the entire European Union,” EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner said at a press conference in Strasbourg.
“To support this, we are creating the possibility for member states to directly enforce return orders issued by another member state without having to go through all the procedures again,” he said.
While the EU itself would not establish the return hubs, the plan aims to create a legal framework for member states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to host rejected asylum seekers.
Under current rules, EU countries can only deport asylum seekers to their country of origin or a country they transited through unless an alternative agreement is reached.
Immigration remains a contentious issue across the bloc, with EU leaders calling for “innovative solutions” to address migration challenges.
The proposal has drawn criticism from rights groups, which argue it undermines the right to asylum and could lead to prolonged detentions.