The EU passed a law allowing offshore deportation centers
On June 17, the European Parliament approved a new law that would allow countries in the European Union (EU) to set up offshore deportation centers or “return hubs” in non-EU countries through formal alliances. The European Parliament passed the law amid dramatic scenes as lawmakers chanted “Send them back”, with 418 members in favor, 218 against and 30 abstentions. It is considered one of the bloc’s toughest anti-immigration policies to date.
What does the law say?
The law, called the Return Regulation, was drafted by the European Commission last year and was finalized by EU lawmakers on June 1. It has now been ratified by the European Parliament and will now need the approval of all individual European governments.
The regulation essentially authorizes the deportation of immigrants who do not have the right to enter or stay in the EU to third countries. Individual member states can now conclude bilateral agreements with countries outside the EU and set up deportation centers there. However, the law emphasizes that such agreements can only be signed with third countries that “respect human rights, international law and the principle of non-refoulement”.
These centers are mainly intended for immigrants/asylum seekers who have been denied the right to remain in the EU but cannot be immediately deported back to their home countries (for example, if the home country does not accept them back or if their identity cannot be verified). The only exception to these rules would be unaccompanied minors. Families with children who fall into the above category would also be deported to these “return hubs”.
Furthermore, according to the provisional text of the Return Regulation, non-EU nationals who have been asked to return may be detained if there is a security risk or if there is a threat of absconding.
The maximum legal detention period for illegal migrants awaiting return has been increased from six months to two years. For those who pose a security risk, it could also be of unlimited duration. Other punitive measures include entry bans, fines and criminal sanctions if migrants do not cooperate.
The law also allows for searches of the residences or “appropriate premises” of such “illegal” immigrants, which some organizations have condemned as similar to the indiscriminate powers recently wielded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Why was it “necessary”?
According to the latest Eurostat figures, only about 28% of migrants ordered to leave are actually returned to their home countries. Nicholas Ioannides, Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, said the new law “will speed up the return process and increase the returns of people who do not have a legal right to stay in the EU… today’s (June 17) landmark agreement strengthens the credibility of EU migration policy.”
Over the past decade or so, Europe has seen an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment, which in turn has fueled the rise of far-right parties and governments across the EU, among other things.
Just last week, on June 14, Switzerland voted in a referendum to limit the country’s population to 10 million by 2050, in what many saw as a move to limit the entry and stay of immigrants in the country.
The return decree was mainly supported by the bloc’s right-wing and centrist groups. The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) has joined the right-wing European conservatives and reformists, which include Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni’s party. It was also supported by the far-right Patriots for Europe – led by Jordan Bardella, president of France’s far-right National Assembly – and Europe of Sovereign Nations, which includes Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The EPP includes centrist parties such as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by German Chancellor Freidrich Merz. While domestically centrists like the CDU have ruled out any kind of alliance with the AfD, at the EU level the parties are finding it necessary to ally with far-right blocs to get the necessary votes to pass legislation related to migration and asylum.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the regulation was “fair and firm” and would bring “safer external borders, solidarity between member states and more efficient asylum and return procedures”.
The law must also be seen in the light of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which was adopted in 2024 and is effective from 12 June 2026. The Pact, which consists of 10 binding pieces of legislation, aims to streamline migration and asylum applications at EU level, establishing common procedures for all member states so that migration pressures are not felt by just a few countries.
This pact applies mainly to immigrants illegally crossing the external border of the EU via the coast or sea of EU countries. Some major reforms under the Pact include a mandatory border screening process, the creation of a full-fledged EU asylum and migration database, etc.
The number of first-time asylum seekers is decreasing year by year. According to the latest Eurostat data, over six million asylum applications came to EU countries in 2025, a decrease of 27% compared to 2024.
A known model
The UK, a former EU nation, under the Conservative government of Rishi Sunak, proposed a policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, which has since been scrapped by the current government of Keir Starmer. However, Sunak’s model was different in that the UK government at the time proposed to transfer all “illegal” asylum seekers directly to Rwanda and then process their applications there. If the application is approved, they could be granted refugee status in Rwanda. None of them will have the right to return to the UK
In Italy, Ms Meloni’s government has already set up “repatriation centres” for asylum seekers detained at sea in Albania. However, both local courts and the European Court of Justice have effectively blocked a number of refugee deportations on the basis that Italy’s classification of what constitutes a “safe” country violates EU standards.
Now that the return regulation has been adopted, EU member states such as Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece, among others, are actively looking abroad for agreements with third parties.
Human Rights Watch said the new law shows “little regard for the safety, dignity and rights of people and does not respect the fundamental values of the EU. Instead of building a fair, functional and humane return system, member states are promoting an approach that is narrowly punitive.”
Most socialist and left-wing MEPs argued that the new law undermines the human rights of migrants. Concerns have also been raised about the welfare of migrants in such “return centres”. “This regulation risks normalizing legally questionable practices that would have been unthinkable in the EU just a few years ago,” said Ana Catarina Mendes, vice-president of the Socialists and Democrats group, whose members voted mostly against the regulation in the European Parliament.
Published – 20 Jun 2026 06:30 IST