Overview
- Negotiators from the European Parliament and member states reached provisional agreement on most parts of a new return regulation on Thursday but did not finalise the deal because they could not agree when the rules should start to apply.
- The draft would let member states place rejected asylum seekers in 'return hubs' in non‑EU countries and it exempts unaccompanied minors from deportation while allowing families with children to be affected in some cases.
- Rejected asylum seekers would face clear cooperation duties for their removal and penalties for non‑compliance, including arrest, cuts or loss of benefits, and confiscation of travel documents.
- The regulation would extend lawful detention for removal to up to 24 months with a possible extra six‑month extension in specific cases and leaves national authorities scope to use detention for flight or security risks.
- Several member states including Germany are already seeking bilateral deals with potential host countries and the talks have drawn scrutiny after reporting showed close cooperation between the centre‑right EPP and the right‑wing group in the Parliament; formal negotiations resume on June 1, 2026.