European Parliament approves migrant return hubs outside EU borders
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European Parliament approves migrant return hubs outside EU borders
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The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a sweeping overhaul of EU rules on returning irregular migrants, including the creation of deportation centres outside the bloc’s borders, in a move that clears the way for member states to open return hubs in third countries. The vote in Strasbourg was 418 in favour to 218 against, with 30 abstentions, according to multiple reports published today [2026-06-17].
The new framework allows countries such as Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands—all of which have already explored the idea—to establish “return hubs” in non-EU states where migrants with rejected asylum claims can be held while awaiting deportation. The legislation also extends maximum detention periods to 24 months and introduces new investigative measures to track down people who have overstayed or whose asylum applications have been rejected [2026-06-17] .
Critics immediately condemned the reform as a dangerous erosion of fundamental rights. Green MEPs described the vote as an “anti-immigration U-turn” that risks creating an “EU version of ICE,” while human-rights groups warned that offshoring detention could lead to systematic abuses and deny migrants access to legal recourse [2026-06-17] . Supporters, including the centre-right European People’s Party, argued the changes are necessary to raise the bloc’s dismally low return rate—currently just 28 per cent of failed asylum seekers—by making removals faster and more enforceable [2026-06-17] .
The legal basis is now in place for bilateral negotiations between EU capitals and potential host countries in Africa, the Middle East or the Balkans. Denmark’s government, which first proposed the idea, said it would move quickly to identify partners willing to host such facilities [2026-06-17] .
The reform also tightens rules on cooperation from those facing return orders and mandates strict adherence to international law, though rights organisations question whether offshoring detention can ever meet those standards. The European Commission insists the measures include robust human-rights safeguards and will be monitored closely [2026-06-17] .
With the vote concluded, attention now turns to which countries will sign agreements with third states and where the first hubs will be located. The outcome is expected to reshape Europe’s approach to migration enforcement and test the bloc’s commitment to balancing border control with legal protections.
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Articles
The European Parliament approved changes to EU policy on the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the EU. Learn more: link.europa.eu/6c3YM9
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