European Parliament Backs EU ‘Return Hubs’ Outside the Bloc to Speed Migrant Expulsions

Overview

• The Parliament, which approved the package Thursday, endorsed opening centers in non‑EU countries to transfer and possibly detain people denied asylum, a move driven by frustration that only about one in five EU return orders is carried out.
• The measure is not law yet, as negotiators will now work with the Council on a final text and a later Parliament vote, and adoption as an EU regulation would make it apply at once across all member states.
• The draft extends permissible detention to up to 24 months, allows confiscation of identity documents and longer entry bans for those who refuse to leave, and requires countries to recognize each other’s removal decisions.
• A broad alliance of center‑right, right and far‑right groups delivered a large majority, drawing praise from Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and fierce criticism from NGOs and left‑wing MEPs who warn of detaining vulnerable people, including children.
• Several governments, including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands, are studying pilot sites by year’s end, while France and Spain voice doubts after court fights left Italy’s Albania facility sparsely used and the UK dropped its Rwanda plan.