EU Parliament backs negotiations on migrant return hubs

The European Parliament voted on Thursday to open negotiations with EU member states on a proposed legal framework designed to accelerate and streamline the return of migrants who do not have the right to stay in the bloc, according to news reports.

The vote saw 389 lawmakers in favour, 206 against, and 32 abstentions, clearing the way for the next phase of legislative work aimed at reforming the EU’s common system for handling the return of irregular migrants.

Under the proposed legislation, member states would be permitted to set up processing centres, often referred to as “return hubs”, located outside EU territory. Migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected could be transferred to these hubs before being returned to their countries of origin.

The reform also introduces a “safe third country” provision, allowing member states to reject asylum applications as inadmissible if the applicant could have sought and received protection in a non-EU nation deemed safe. Additionally, the legislation contemplates stricter penalties for migrants who refuse voluntary departure.

Rwanda, Uganda and Uzbekistan are among a dozen nations that have been scouted as potential partners to host such centres, sources told AFP in April.

However, the proposal has drawn criticism. Several EU countries, including Spain and France, have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of return hubs. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned that such centres might operate with limited oversight and insufficient safeguards for migrant rights.

More than 70 human rights groups issued a joint statement in February, cautioning that the reform could lead to enforcement practices similar to those used by US immigration authorities. They argued it would “consolidate a punitive system, fueled by far-right rhetoric and based on racialized suspicion, denunciation, detention and deportation,” potentially undermining fundamental rights by criminalising migrants based on their administrative status.

Dutch lawmaker Malik Azmani has been appointed to lead the Parliament’s negotiating team in the upcoming talks with the EU Council. The first round of discussions is expected to commence shortly with the rotating presidency, currently held by the Greek Cypriot Administration.