On Tuesday 1 April, Member State experts held an initial discussion on the draft Regulation designed to speed up the return of irregular migrants in the European Union (see EUROPE 13597/17, 13606/6).
This text opens up the possibility for Member States to set up return centres in third countries, toughens the obligations of people subject to a return decision and paves the way for mutually recognised decisions between Member States on a mandatory basis starting as of 2027.
During this initial exchange, some delegations criticised the choice of a Regulation as the legal form.
Regarding the return centres, the lines have remained the same. A number of countries, such as Spain, are opposed to this, although at least 15 countries requested this route in a joint letter in May 2024. Some countries, such as France, also remain sceptical.
The questions asked would have focused on the feasibility of such a system. A significant number of Member States were already opposed to the principle of compulsory mutual recognition even before the text was presented, and remain so. The progressive formula chosen by the Commission is likely to reassure some, such as France. According to one source, the first, very lengthy exchange showed that the draft Regulation will require “a lot of work”, with a very detailed analysis of the Articles.
The European Parliament, for its part, is beginning to prepare for this work. The Renew Europe Group has arranged for one of its elected representatives to lead the draft report. However, the rumours concerning the appointment of Dutchman Malik Azmani as rapporteur were not confirmed to Agence Europe on Wednesday 2 April. The Group is expected to make its decision shortly.
The Commission will present its draft Regulation to Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties on Tuesday 8 April. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)