A legislation permitting detention facilities outside the EU to speed up the return of irregular migrants has been endorsed at committee level, dividing Parliament’s usual majority coalition.
The European Parliament is set to vote shortly on legislation designed to boost the return rates of irregular migrants. This includes the establishment of contentious deportation centers beyond the EU borders, detention periods reaching up to two years, and home raids methods that NGOs liken to those used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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On Monday, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) backed a draft supported by center-right, right-wing, and far-right fractions, disrupting the traditional centrist coalition. Left-wing factions declared their opposition to the proposal, which now awaits a vote from the full Parliament.
This committee endorsement illustrates the trend of the European People’s Party (EPP) aligning with the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and far-right groups Patriots for Europe (PfE) and Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) on migration-related dossiers.
Negotiations within the usual centrists, comprising EPP, Socialists and Democrats (S&D), liberal Renew Europe, and the Greens, fell apart, and the rapporteur, Dutch liberal MEP Malik Azmani’s proposal was ultimately rejected.
The EPP’s chief negotiator, François-Xavier Bellamy, criticized the Socialists for their disengagement and refusal to accept the fundamental principles of the law. After the vote, he stressed to journalists the need for immediate action against irregular migration, emphasizing that only 20% of all return decisions across Europe are implemented.
Left-wing groups condemned the outcome vehemently. Greens MEP Mélissa Camara told Euronews that the adopted text embodies a racist and populist stance, endangering lives and undermining personal dignity, whilst breaching essential rule of law principles.
A divisive bill, condemned by civil society
The return regulation was proposed by the European Commission in March 2025 and received member state approval in December.
This law aims to introduce mutual recognition of return decisions between EU member states and to simplify the return proceedings.
MEP Charlie Weimers, lead negotiator for the ECR group, explained to Euronews that «the current system is failing and needs reform. Member states must prioritize their law enforcement bodies to fully implement these rules, enabling an effective return policy.”
The proposal would permit EU countries to repatriate irregular migrants to third countries that are not their countries of origin, provided bilateral agreements exist with the non-EU state for establishing detention centers known as “return hubs” on their soil.
According to the legislation, these hubs could serve either as transit points or as facilities where migrants remain temporarily, raising concerns over migrants’ rights since they may be sent back to countries with no connection to them.
NGOs also express worries about fundamental rights protections in detention centers located outside the EU, criticizing the absence of clear safeguards and accountability.
The responsibility is assigned solely to EU member states, after the European Parliament removed an original Commission proposal for an independent monitoring mechanism to oversee agreements with third countries.
“The possibility that these hubs could be created through informal agreements or memoranda means there is no robust legal framework ensuring standards,” Silvia Carta, Advocacy Officer at Picum, a migration-focused network, told Euronews.
The version drafted by the LIBE Committee also alters the automatic suspension of deportations pending appeal, which currently halts deportations until a final decision is reached. The approved text would transfer this authority to judicial bodies to decide individually.
Following the Parliament’s forthcoming vote, negotiations with member states on the final bill version will begin, with the potential for the law to come into effect within months given the minor differences between positions.
ICE-style raids rejected by Parliament
The Parliament’s draft excludes a provision sought by some EU countries to authorize authorities to search residences or “other relevant locations” where a third-country national with an expulsion order might be present.
Opponents argue that approving this measure could lead to raids akin to those by the US ICE, which triggered protests and confrontations in the US, particularly in Minnesota.
“This could open avenues for police to raid homes suspected of harboring migrants, as well as offices and shelters managed by humanitarian organizations,” stated Carta.
She also noted that while some member states have legal or constitutional safeguards that could block this law’s application, others might see the regulation broaden investigative powers without clear legal protections such as judicial authorization.