EU taking on Dutch idea for asylum deportation center outside Europe
The European Union is moving toward allowing asylum deportation centers outside its borders, a policy long pushed by the Netherlands, according to the Telegraaf. The plan to create "return hubs" was presented by European Commissioner Magnus Brunner on Tuesday, which he referred to as "the missing piece" in European asylum and immigration policy. Brunner pledged that unaccompanied minors and families with minor-age children will not be forced to wait in the return hubs.
The return hubs measure aims to establish facilities where rejected asylum seekers will await deportation to their countries of origin. The Dutch government has been a strong advocate of such measures, with Prime Minister Dick Schoof's Cabinet pushing for Uganda as a potential location for a deportation center.
"Such an agreement or arrangement can be concluded with a third country that respects international human rights standards and principles in accordance with international law, including the principle of non-refoulement," the European Commission said in a statement.
The new initiative was included in the proposed European return law, which was presented as part of the EU’s broader migration reform. The plan is intended to address longstanding failures in returning migrants who are denied asylum. It will still need to be passed by European Parliament, and will require the approval of the EU members. Currently, EU regulations do not permit rejected asylum seekers to be held outside Europe while awaiting deportation, but that restriction is now under review.
That did not stop Italy from establishing their own return hub in Albania, despite repeated challenges in the courts. Like Schoof, Italian Prime Minister Girogia Meloni has also been pushing for tougher European return policies. The proposed legislation seeks to standardize deportation rulings across EU member states, ensuring that an expulsion order in one country applies throughout the bloc.
Additional measures in the proposal would allow authorities to detain rejected asylum seekers for up to 24 months, as opposed to the current 18-month maximum period. Member states would also be able to impose extended entry bans across the Schengen zone. They would also be permitted to share data about individuals and return decisions for the purpose of reviewing readmission requests at a later date.
The EU’s existing return system, established in 2008, has been widely criticized for its ineffectiveness. Only about 20 percent of rejected asylum seekers are actually deported. A major obstacle has been the reluctance of home countries to accept their nationals back, leading some EU member states to call for punitive measures against uncooperative governments.
The new European return law is reportedly seen as the missing piece in the EU’s migration pact, set to take effect in 2026. The pact is designed to streamline asylum procedures by quickly processing applicants with low chances of approval at entry points such as Italy.
