EU lawmakers agree on stricter asylum rules and 'return hubs' outside bloc

EU lawmakers and members agreed in principle on Monday to tightening asylum rules and allowing the establishment of "return hubs" outside the bloc, amid growing sentiment against migration.

The deal, proposed by the European Commission in 2025, comes as far-right parties across the EU have been growing in popularity and have pushed for a tougher stance on illegal migration.

The German DPA news agency reported that the deal was moved forward with the support of right-wing parties in the European Parliament, an unusual move.

The agreement comes even as irregular arrivals into the EU fell 26% in 2025, their lowest level since 2021. EU officials, however, argue that the problem now is governments' struggle to enforce deportation orders, with fewer than 30% being carried out.

The legislation still requires formal approval by EU governments and the European Parliament.

What does the deal entail?

The provisional deal, launched amid growing pressure to curb migration, stipulates that rejected asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their countries of origin could be transferred to "return hubs," whose locations have yet to be disclosed.

It would apply when an asylum seeker's home country refuses to take them back, or if the EU member state initiating the deportation does not maintain diplomatic relations with the asylum seeker's country of origin.

The legislation would require rejected asylum seekers to cooperate more closely with authorities or risk detention pending deportation. Those who fail to comply could face the withdrawal of welfare benefits and the confiscation of travel documents.

The new plan would also allow authorities to detain migrants they consider a flight risk or a threat to national security, with a detention period of up to 24 months, subject to a six-month extension, DPA reported, citing people involved in the negotiations.

Most of the agreed-upon measures will apply immediately once the law enters into force. Some provisions would come into effect 12 months later, to give EU members time to pave the way for relevant regulatory changes.

EU, far-right celebrate agreement

Magnus Brunner, the EU's commissioner for migration, celebrated the deal on Monday, saying it signals that "we are bringing our European house in order."

"With the new rules, we have more control over who can come to the EU, who can stay and who needs to leave."

The far-right ECR group also hailed the agreement.

"The era of returns has begun," it said.

Germany and Austria, who have both been exploring options to set up "return hubs" independently, have been pushing for the controversial agreement, alongside Greece, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Italy has already signed an agreement with Albania to house asylum seekers there, but it has been contested in the courts.

Spain and France have been questioning the effectiveness of such models.

Why is the 'return hubs' agreement controversial?

Rights groups have warned the measure would broaden governments' powers to detain and deport migrants, cautioning that it could lead to an increase in raids and measures similar to those used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Donald Trump.

"It looks set to normalise immigration raids, expand the use of detention in prison-like facilities outside EU territory that are essentially legal black holes and increase the risk of people being deported to countries where they could face persecution, torture or worse," said Marta Welander of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an NGO.

NGOs have pointed to an existing rise in deportations from Germany and other EU states. In some cases, authorities have been carrying out night-time home searches to detain migrants and transfer them to airports for deportation, sometimes even without being allowed to gather their belongings.

"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," French Green lawmaker Melisssa Camara said.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse