The European Parliament adopted a Commission proposal on Thursday 15 September for a European travel document to speed up the return of non-EU nationals staying irregularly in EU member states without valid passports or identity cards.
When an administrative or judicial decision is passed on the return of migrants, they are sent back to their countries of origin under the terms of readmission and bilateral agreements. However, member states all have their own individual travel documents, each with their own different security and technical features. Third countries are, therefore, reluctant to accept the return documents provided by member states for reasons that include inadequate security details and varying formats, notes Parliament’s resolution approving the regulation.
In order to combat counterfeiting and falsification, the new regulation provides for harmonised return forms which will use the same security details as laid down for entry visas issued by EU countries to residents without valid travel papers.
One of the key aims for MEPs was to strengthen the form’s security features and technical safeguards, so as to promote its acceptance by third countries (see EUROPE 11562). The Parliament report, prepared by Jussi Halla-aho (ECR, Finland), was passed comfortably by 494 votes to 112, with 50 abstentions.
According to European Commission figures, fewer than 40% of return decisions were enforced in 2014. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)