EU strikes migration deal for more deportations and detention centers abroad
BRUSSELS — The European Union has approved a comprehensive reform of its migration policy, with a focus on increasing deportations and establishing controversial agreements to construct detention facilities overseas. This move has drawn comparisons to the aggressive immigration strategies employed by the Trump administration.
Nicholas Ioannides, the deputy migration minister for Cyprus, which currently holds the EU presidency, stated, “The new regulation aims to expedite the return process and enhance the repatriation of individuals without legal authorization to remain in the EU.”
The agreement was reached between the EU’s key institutions — the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament — during a “trilogue” session on Monday evening.
Dutch lawmaker Malik Azmani, who led the regulation through the European Parliament, emphasized the necessity for an efficient repatriation policy with higher success rates. He noted that only 28% of rejected asylum seekers return to their home countries, with the majority opting to remain in the EU.
Critics have likened the newly approved regulation to the immigration policies adopted by the Trump administration, which entered into several confidential agreements with countries worldwide to deport numerous individuals to nations where they have no citizenship. The UK’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was abandoned due to legal complications when a new government assumed power in July 2024.
Silvia Carter, a spokesperson for the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, remarked, “Europe must learn from the adverse effects of that model, not replicate it.”
Law enforcement officers across the EU are no longer required to obtain warrants from judges before conducting searches at private residences or public facilities such as hospitals. According to Carter, “The regulation will establish a stringent system for detention and deportation.”
The provisional agreement will now be presented to EU legislators and governments, with swift approval anticipated.
Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Technology, stated, “These new regulations will streamline, simplify, and enhance procedures throughout the EU for repatriating non-EU nationals without legal status, all while upholding international law and fundamental rights.”
EU member states will soon have the authority to form bilateral agreements with non-EU nations to establish deportation facilities. Discussions are already underway between at least five EU countries — Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece — and various countries in Africa to establish “return hubs,” following the example of Italy’s detention agreement with Albania.
Mélissa Camara, a member of the French Green party, described the agreement as “a significant regression” in human rights within the EU.
Advocacy organizations cautioned that the regulation would undermine the protections guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and expose individuals to risks beyond the EU’s borders.
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