Return centres, which are intended to transfer irregular migrants out of the EU before their readmission to their countries of origin, could become a reality “within the next year” and be established in “2026-2027”, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told our colleagues at the Financial Times on Tuesday 23 June.
According to her, “work is under way” to secure direct funding from the European Commission for these facilities.
This idea echoes the request made by 19 Member States on the sidelines of the European Council last Friday, with those countries calling for direct involvement by the Commission to speed up these so-called ‘innovative’ solutions (see EUROPE 13892/6).
However, the initiative had reignited divisions within the EU27. Like Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, French President Emmanuel Macron had expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such centres and their compatibility with “the fundamental principles on which our Europe was built”, firmly opposing the use of EU funds to set them up.
In response to the criticism, Ms Frederiksen again insisted that these structures would comply with international law and would operate “on European conditions”. (Original version in French by Justine Manaud)