EU moves closer to deal on migrant return centres outside bloc

Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states are close to reaching an agreement that could pave the way for establishing migrant return centres outside the European Union.

According to the European Parliament’s negotiating team, after “productive” consultations, both sides have reached a common understanding of the draft regulation on migrant returns.

“After a productive exchange in trilogue, the co-legislators have come to a common understanding on the text of the Return Regulation. All remaining outstanding political issues have been duly discussed and provisionally agreed with the exception of Article 52, regarding the entry into application, where a compromise in principle has been found but further work needs to be done.

The co-legislators will endeavour to reach a provisional agreement during the upcoming trilogue scheduled to take place on 1 June 2026,” the negotiating team’s statement read.

The proposed “return hubs” would be used to accommodate migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected but who cannot be deported, often due to their countries of origin refusing to accept them or due to a lack of diplomatic relations.

The initiative is supported by European Union member states, including Germany, Greece, Austria, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Italy has already signed a controversial agreement with Albania to host asylum seekers outside EU territory.

At the same time, EU institutions are also discussing tougher rules for rejected asylum seekers in an effort to accelerate deportation procedures.

By Jeyhun Aghazada