The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) approved key changes to EU legislation that pave the way for the establishment of dedicated return centers in third countries outside the EU.
According to the adopted decision, EU countries will be able to send migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected and who have received orders to leave the EU but cannot be immediately deported to their country of origin to such centers. These migrants will be held in these centers until the removal procedures are completed.
The initiative allows for bilateral agreements to be concluded with third countries (not necessarily related to the migrant’s origin) on whose territory such “return hubs” will be built and operated. The draft also envisages tougher measures against those who refuse to leave the EU, including entry bans and imprisonment.
The committee voted primarily to approve the changes, breaking the traditional centrist majority in the European Parliament. The initiative is being actively promoted by Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Greece, who consider the current deportation system too slow and ineffective.
Human rights organizations and NGOs have sharply criticized the proposal, warning of the risks of massive human rights violations, the lack of reliable guarantees for compliance with international standards in third countries, the potential use of prolonged detention without due judicial review, and the de facto extraterritorial processing of migrants.
A vote on the initiative at a plenary session of the European Parliament is expected to take place as early as March 12, 2026. Following this, negotiations will begin between MEPs and the EU Council to finalize the text. If successful, the changes will become part of a broader reform of EU migration policy aimed at accelerating returns and decongesting the asylum system.