‘Return hubs’ for migrants set to clear EU parliament hurdle

BRUSSELS: European lawmakers are expected to clear the way Thursday for stiffer penalties for irregular migrants and their potential deportation to so-called “return hubs” outside the bloc.
The measures, criticized by human rights groups, are part of a tightening of Europe’s immigration rules in response to pressure across the 27-nation bloc to curb migration.
The vote in the European Parliament would get the move a step closer to approval, ushering in negotiations between lawmakers and member states on a final text.
The reform would notably allow for the opening of centers or “return hubs” outside the EU’s borders to which migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected would be sent.
It also envisages harsher penalties for migrants who refuse to leave, including through detention and entry bans.
The package has proven divisive. Some in the bloc, including France and Spain, have questioned the effectiveness of return centers, which the International Rescue Committee (IRC), an NGO, has described as “legal black holes.”
“They will be located outside of EU territory, where policymakers cannot guarantee that people’s rights will be upheld,” said the IRC’s Marta Welander.
A small group of countries, including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands, is nevertheless plowing ahead and exploring options to set them up, according to a diplomatic source.
‘ICE-style’ 
Proponents say the hubs could act as a deterrent and discourage migrants from attempting to reach Europe in the first place.
Critics instead point to the hurdles faced by similar projects.
Britain abandoned a scheme to deport undocumented migrants to Rwanda, while Italian-run facilities to process migrants in Albania have faced legal challenges and a slow uptake.
Despite opposition from the left, the package, first proposed by the European Commission last year, comfortably passed a preliminary parliamentary vote this month with support from center-right and far-right lawmakers.
EU member states gave their green light in December.
Negotiations with parliament after the vote are likely to zero in on a small number of issues, including the extent of search powers that could be granted to authorities seeking out irregular migrants, observers say.
A group of 70 rights groups warned in February that the reform would allow for “ICE-style immigration enforcement” — a reference to the heavy-handed practices used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States under President Donald Trump.
“Each and every one of us will have to answer a very simple question. What kind of Europe do we want? One of rejection, hatred, and imprisonment?” said Melissa Camara, a lawmaker with the Greens opposing the text.
European governments have sought a tougher stance amid a souring of public opinion on migration that has fueled far-right electoral gains across the continent.
With migrant arrivals down in 2025, focus in Brussels has turned to improving the repatriation system, which currently sees about 20 percent of people ordered to leave actually returned to their country of origin.