The European Parliament and EU Member States have reached an agreement on a new regulation on the deportation of migrants staying in the EU without the right of residence.
The regulations provide, among other things, for the possibility of establishing deportation centers outside the EU, extending detention periods and tightening the rules for the return of persons subject to an order to leave the EU.
The new regulations are considered one of the most restrictive reforms to European migration policy in decades. According to the European Commission, their aim is to increase the effectiveness of deportations and reduce the scale of irregular migration.
EU data shows that currently only about 29 percent of people who have been ordered to leave the EU actually return to their country of origin.
Deportation centers outside the EU
The provision stirring up the most anger from the left is the provision allowing member states to set up so-called return centers in third countries. It is intended to house persons who have been denied the right of residence or international protection in the territory of the Union.
The solution will not be mandatory, but countries interested in implementing it will be able to conclude appropriate agreements with non-EU countries with the support of the European Commission.
Similar solutions are already being tested by some member states. Italy is implementing a project related to the handling of migrants in Albania, while Germany, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Greece have launched joint activities aimed at finding countries ready to establish future deportation centers.
Search of a migrant’s home without documents
The new regulations also provide for the expansion of the powers of the services responsible for enforcing deportation decisions. Proposed solutions include the possibility of conducting searches to find migrants without regulated residence status, extending the maximum detention period and tightening bans on re-entry to the EU.
According to the agreed text, persons subject to a deportation decision will be obliged to cooperate with the authorities. In the event of refusal or risk of flight, they may be detained for up to 30 months.
Additional measures are provided for foreigners deemed to be a threat to security, including the possibility of imposing long-term and, in some cases, indefinite bans on entry to the EU.
The new law is stirring emotions
The agreement was met with sharp criticism from non-governmental organizations and some political groups. Human rights activists say the new regulations could lead to violations of migrants’ rights and an increase in long-term detention. The possibility of sending families with children to deportation centers outside the EU has also sparked particular controversy.
Supporters of the reform argue that the current return system is inefficient and undermines the credibility of EU migration policy. Representatives of conservative and right-wing groups emphasize that member states need more effective tools to enforce decisions on the deportation of people without residence rights.
The new regulations may come into force as early as July. Some of the regulations will come into force in 12 months.
