The European Union has taken a significant step toward tightening its migration policy. Representatives of the European Parliament and EU member states have reached an agreement on new rules allowing the creation of so-called “return hubs” in third countries to accelerate the deportation of migrants who have not been granted asylum.
Under the new regulation, which replaces the 2008 Returns Directive, EU states will be able to send rejected asylum seekers to specialized centers outside the Union. Migrants would remain there until their actual removal to their country of origin or another safe country. A key change is the simplification of the procedure: deportation will no longer require a personal connection between the migrant and the third country, provided there is an agreement between the EU (or an individual member state) and that country.
The initiative has been actively promoted by Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece. Negotiations are underway with several African countries, including Kenya. The first such centers could be established in the coming months.
The European Commission emphasizes that currently only about 20 percent of deportation decisions are actually enforced. The new measures are intended to increase the effectiveness of returns and reduce pressure on reception systems within the EU.
Human rights organizations have sharply criticized the agreement, calling it an “outsourcing of responsibility” and warning of risks of human rights violations, potential abuses, and breaches of the non-refoulement principle. Critics compare the initiative to the UK’s Rwanda plan and similar U.S. practices.
At the same time, right-wing and centrist politicians have welcomed the decision as a long-awaited response to the migration crisis and a fulfillment of promises to tighten border control.
The agreement still requires formal approval but is expected to enter into force soon as part of the implementation of the EU Migration Pact 2026.