BRUSSELS — The European Union is shaking up its migration policy. The focus is on speeding up deportations and establishing detention centers outside its borders. Critics say this move is reminiscent of the Trump administration’s strict immigration strategies.
“The new law will help increase returns of individuals who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” said Nicholas Ioannides, deputy migration minister of Cyprus, which currently holds the EU presidency.
This agreement involved key EU institutions: the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament. Some activists see it as a troubling step, comparing it to past actions by the U.S. that resulted in people being deported to countries that weren’t their own. Similar to the UK’s plans to deport migrants to Rwanda, which got tangled in legal issues, there are serious doubts about these strategies’ effectiveness and ethical implications.
Critics like Silvia Carter from the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants warn that this legislation is setting up a feared “detention and deportation machine.” She points to the harms of aggressive U.S. immigration policies as a cautionary tale. “Europe should learn from those experiences, not repeat them,” she stated.
The provisional agreement is expected to quickly gain approval from EU lawmakers. Soon, member states may begin negotiating deals with countries to establish deportation centers. At least five nations, including Germany and Greece, are already looking into agreements with countries in Africa to set up these “return hubs.”
Since the rise of right-wing governments in 2024, the EU has tightened its migration rules. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has framed these changes as necessary to avoid a repeat of the 2015 crisis when nearly a million people sought refuge in Europe due to the Syrian conflict. The sentiments fueling that crisis still resonate today, as many individuals continue to flee violence and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
Mélissa Camara, a member of the French Greens, criticized the alliance of center-right and far-right parties that facilitated the new agreements. She described it as a major setback for human rights within the EU.
Activists express concern that the law may erode fundamental human rights protections. Marta Welander from the International Rescue Committee pointed out the potential dangers: expanded detention practices, normalization of immigration raids, and the risk of deportations to places where individuals could face torture or persecution.
Understanding the history of migration policies in the EU can provide insight into the present situation. In the past, strict immigration measures often led to humanitarian crises and backlash. As this new law moves forward, the struggle between the need for security and the protection of human rights remains a critical issue.
For more in-depth coverage of these developments, check out reports from [Human Rights Watch](https://www.hrw.org) and [Amnesty International](https://www.amnesty.org).
