On Tuesday 11 March, MEPs were divided over the new regulation on the return of third-country nationals residing illegally in the EU (see other news), with those on the right in favour of the text and those in the S&D, Greens/EFA and The Left groups pointing out the dangerous aspects of the reform.
While the Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, called on them to redouble their efforts to reach an agreement, Swedish EPP MEP, Tomas Tobé, welcomed a “fundamental step that remained to be taken” following the ‘Pact on Migration and Asylum’ adopted in 2024.
Citing the current shortcomings of the system, which in particular allow a person subject to a return decision in one Member State to move to another, he felt that there should be “consequences”. And he believes that the regulation will put an end to the loopholes.
In the morning, the EPP group in the European Parliament welcomed a “good starting point”. “While we welcome the legislative proposal, it’s the final form that really counts. The EPP Group urges all the political forces in the European Parliament to work together to create a solid regulation that guarantees the effective return of people who do not have the right to stay. Every year, almost half a million illegal migrants are ordered to leave the EU, but only one in five actually does so. This must be a turning point”, said Germany’s Lena Düpont in a press release.
For Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgian), this regulation is “historic” and the “best proposal” received in 10 years. “Any migration policy that does not enforce its return decisions is pointless”, added the MEP, who considered return hubs to be “essential”.
For Marieke Ehlers (PfE) of the Netherlands, this regulation is a matter of “common sense”. “The ‘Pact’ was supposed to be a panacea, but if there isn’t a greater number of returns, it won’t make any headway”. She also called for measures against non-cooperative third countries. “This should be linked to development aid”.
At Renew Europe, the text was well received. Malik Azmani from the Netherlands said that “without a functional return system”, migration policy does not work. “It undermines public support”. However, he stressed “the fundamental importance of always taking human rights into account”.
On the S&D side, Ana Catarina Mendes (Portuguese) is concerned about several points, such as “the possibility given to Member States to negotiate with third countries of their choice”.
The “possibility of sending people to third countries that have not ratified international instruments” is also dangerous.
Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA, Dutch) believes that this text sends people back into humanitarian limbo, with no lasting prospects, and that it will lead to “much more suffering”. The MEP sees only “negative consequences”, while the Commission has “given in to the far right in a shameful way”.
“These return centres open the door to lawlessness and the most appalling detention conditions for third-country nationals”, said her colleague, Mélissa Camara (French). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)