EU institutions agree common legal framework legalising return-hub agreements
Representatives of the European Parliament, Council and Commission have agreed on a regulation that creates a legal basis for establishing 'return hubs' in third countries. The new rule allows asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected to be held in non-EU states. The regulation will be voted on first by Parliament, then by Council.
Anadolu Ajansı · İbrahim Hamdi HacıcaferoğluTrilateral negotiations between the European Parliament, Council and Commission concluded with agreement on the 'return hubs' regulation that has been on the Brussels agenda for the past three years. According to Anadolu Ajansı, the rule aims to bring bilateral arrangements such as the Italy-Albania and Netherlands-Uganda agreements within a common European legal framework.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner said in a statement it was 'a concrete tool to reduce bottlenecks in the asylum system'. In Parliament, shadow rapporteur Tineke Strik warned that 'whether fundamental rights safeguards are adequate will need to be assessed'. UNHCR Europe Representative Philippe Leclerc said 'the oversight mechanism in third countries absolutely needs to be clarified'. Eve Geddie of human-rights group Amnesty International said the decision 'carries the risk of outsourcing the EU's asylum obligations'.
The regulation will be voted on at the European Parliament's Strasbourg plenary in early July, followed by an expected qualified-majority approval at the EU Council. The Commission said the first pilot deployments could begin in early 2027. This report does not constitute legal advice.
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