BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union (EU) is advancing a significant overhaul of its migration policy, with an emphasis on accelerating deportations and establishing controversial agreements to create detention centers abroad. This move has drawn comparisons to the stringent immigration tactics employed during the Trump administration in the United States.
“The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” stated Nicholas Ioannides, the deputy migration minister for Cyprus, which is currently holding the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc. On Monday evening, a preliminary agreement was reached among the EU's three primary institutions — the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament — during a trilogue session.
Critics have likened this regulation to the immigration policies of the Trump administration, which entered into several confidential agreements with various nations to facilitate the deportation of thousands of individuals to countries outside their own. The UK similarly aimed to deport migrants to Rwanda, although that initiative faltered due to legal challenges and was subsequently abandoned by the new government.
Silvia Carter, a spokesperson for the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, highlighted concerns about the impending regulations, indicating that they will create a “draconian detention and deportation machine.” She stressed the dangers associated with such policies, drawing parallels to the atmosphere of violence and fear surrounding the aggressive enforcement tactics of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The provisional agreement is poised to move quickly through the EU's legislative process, requiring approval from lawmakers and heads of state. Following the agreement, EU member nations will have the ability to establish bilateral arrangements with countries outside the EU for the establishment of deportation centers. At least five EU nations — Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece — are reportedly in discussions with third countries, primarily in Africa, to create "return hubs," similar to Italy’s recent detention deal with Albania.
The tightening of migration policies has been a consistent theme within the EU, particularly following the rise of right-wing political groups. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, representing the center-right European People's Party coalition, has expressed that these new measures are critical to avoiding a repeat of the 2015 crisis, during which approximately one million individuals sought asylum in response to Syria's civil war.
The ongoing migration crisis, exacerbated by individuals fleeing conflict and poverty across Africa and the Middle East, has contributed to a political shift to the right within the EU. This shift mirrors the anti-immigrant sentiment that fueled a “red wave” in the 2024 U.S. elections.
Center-right political factions have allied with far-right parties to surpass resistance from centrist and left-wing groups. Mélissa Camara, a French lawmaker associated with the Greens, condemned the deal as a “historic setback” for human rights within the bloc. She mentioned, “The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete.”
Activist organizations have raised alarms regarding the potential implications of this legislation, which they believe may compromise protections enshrined in the EU's fundamental human rights charters. Marta Welander, a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee, warned that the deal could grant governments broader powers to detain and deport individuals, potentially normalizing immigration raids and leading to the use of detention within prison-like facilities outside EU territory. This may pose significant risks for individuals facing deportation to countries where they could experience persecution, torture, or worse.
