Lawmakers in the European Parliament (MEPs) on Monday gave preliminary approval to a tougher approach to immigration policy, moving a step closer to establishing so-called ‘return hubs’ for migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected.
The proposal advanced after support from centre-right and far-right members of the European Parliament.
The development highlights the widening divergence between migration policies in Brussels and those being pursued in Spain, where a sweeping regularisation programme covering more than half a million undocumented migrants is scheduled to begin in April. ALSO READ: Spain to grant legal status to around 500,000 undocumented migrants.
Across the 27-nation bloc, EU governments have already endorsed a series of measures aimed at responding to mounting pressure to curb irregular migration. However, the policies have drawn strong criticism from left-wing parties and human rights organisations. ALSO READ: EU pushes stricter visa controls amid renewed migration focus.
On Monday, a committee of the European Parliament – Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee (LIBE) – held an initial vote on the legislative package. The text could move to a full plenary vote as soon as Thursday, when MEPs would decide whether to formally adopt it.
In the committee stage, centre-right and far-right MEPs secured a last-minute agreement that allowed them to push the proposal forward, effectively bypassing an attempt by centrist lawmakers to pass a compromise version.
A central element of the reform would permit the creation of facilities outside the EU where migrants whose asylum requests have been rejected could be transferred — the so-called ‘return hubs’.
The proposal also foresees stricter penalties for migrants who refuse to leave the EU after receiving deportation orders, including the possibility of detention and bans on re-entering the bloc.
European governments have increasingly pushed for a harder line on migration as public sentiment has shifted in many countries, a trend that has contributed to rising electoral support for far-right parties across the continent.
Although the number of migrant arrivals fell in 2025, policymakers in Brussels have turned their attention to improving the bloc’s deportation system. Currently, only about 20% of migrants ordered to leave the EU are actually returned to their countries of origin.
The proposals, first put forward by the European Commission last year, have been sharply criticised by non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International, which warned that they carry “grave risks of systematic human rights violations”.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
📄Our press release 👇https://t.co/02bFhtnuiO
— LIBE Committee Press (@EP_Justice) March 9, 2026
Please support us with a donation.
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.