The European Parliament approved a profound reform of the European Union's migration policy this Wednesday that seeks to accelerate the deportations of irregular immigrants and allow member states to establish detention centers outside the community bloc. The initiative, which still requires formal approval from the 27 EU governments, represents one of the most significant tightening of European migration rules since the migration crisis of 2015.
The proposal arises in a context of increasing political pressure on European governments to control illegal immigration and increase the number of returns of rejected asylum seekers. Over the past decade, the rise in migration flows to Europe has contributed to the strengthening of parties and political movements favoring stricter border policies.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, defended the reform by stating that the new Return Regulation will provide tools to make expulsion procedures more efficient. According to Brussels, many European countries face difficulties in ensuring that individuals whose asylum applications have been rejected leave their territory or that those who remain in the EU after their visas expire do so.
The European Union approved the creation of detention centers for illegal immigrants outside the community bloc
One of the most anticipated aspects of the reform is the possibility of creating return centers outside the community territory. These centers would allow for the temporary housing of immigrants subject to deportation orders while procedures for their return to their countries of origin are completed.
Supporters of the initiative argue that the measures will help reinforce the credibility of the European migration system and reduce irregular stay within the bloc. They also argue that the lack of effective return mechanisms has weakened governments' ability to enforce existing migration rules for years.
However, leftist and human rights organizations have expressed some criticisms. Opponents believe that the new legislation places too much emphasis on deterrence and expulsions while paying little attention to the root causes of migration, such as armed conflicts, poverty, political persecution, and humanitarian crises.
Tensions have also intensified due to the contacts that the European Commission is maintaining with Afghan authorities to address the deportations of citizens from that country. Brussels invited representatives of the Taliban regime to participate in technical meetings aimed at discussing return and readmission mechanisms for Afghans who do not have the right to remain in European territory.
The President of the European Commission expressed her support for the measure
Both the European Commission and the Swedish government, which is involved in organizing the meetings, have insisted that these discussions are exclusively technical and do not imply diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government. Nevertheless, the decision has generated criticism within some member states.
The Belgian government confirmed that it received visa requests from several members of the Afghan delegation, although it indicated that the procedures are still subject to security reviews. At the same time, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot publicly expressed his disagreement with the invitation extended to representatives of the Afghan regime.
Since the Taliban took power in 2021, following the hasty withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, Western countries have avoided formally recognizing the new Afghan authorities. However, the need to manage migration flows and coordinate possible deportations has led some European governments to explore limited communication channels with Kabul.
The Belgian Foreign Minister expressed disagreement with negotiating with Taliban leaders for the management of expelled immigrants
