Brussels, Belgium, 9 March 2026 — This evening, Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) voted in favour of a controversial new bill to scale up deportations.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that today’s vote in favour of the Return Regulation - which paves the way for so-called ‘return hubs’ outside of EU territory - signals a “dramatic rollback” of people’s rights and protections based on their migration status in Europe.
This vote comes just weeks after the broader European Parliament approved rules which will enable EU states to fast-track asylum applications from countries they deem to be ‘safe’, and to deport people whose asylum applications have been denied to countries they have no connection to, and may never have set foot in before.
Together these new laws give shape to a punitive new EU deportation regime which is likely to result in more criminalisation, raids on communities, and detention in facilities outside of EU territory where people risk being exposed to abuse and human rights violations.
These new rules do not only undermine the EU’s core values, but potentially a raft of EU and international laws, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Geneva Conventions.
Meron Ameha Knikman, Senior Advocacy Advisor at the International Rescue Committee says:
“This vote in favour of a new punitive system to deter, detain and deport people signals a dramatic rollback of people’s rights and protections based on their migration status in Europe. The EU’s new deportation centres - so called ‘return hubs’ - are intended to keep people who have sought protection in Europe out of sight and out of mind. These facilities will essentially be legal black holes, located outside of EU territory where policymakers cannot guarantee that people’s rights will be upheld.
The vague wording used around these detention centres leaves us with more questions than answers. It remains unclear where these facilities will be based, how people whose asylum claims have been rejected will be identified and deported to them, how long they will be forced to stay, and where they will ultimately live. It is unclear who will monitor these facilities, and how those who violate people’s rights will be held accountable. And given that these rules also apply to families with children, it is unclear how people with vulnerabilities will be identified and exempted. This lack of detail risks leaving the door open to abuses of power, human rights violations, and even more disorder at Europe’s borders.
These developments are just the latest backstep in a broader retreat from the EU’s commitment to the right to asylum, and risk contributing to an alarming erosion of refugee protection globally. The EU has an obligation to uphold its own laws, standards and principles, rather than undermining them in pursuit of a harmful and short-sighted political agenda. It’s time for Europe to stop shirking its responsibilities, and instead set an example in treating people seeking protection with dignity and respect.”
With a plenary vote expected shortly, followed by trialogue negotiations, the IRC is calling on the EU and its member states to chart a different course, and instead:
- Ensure that every asylum application is assessed on its own merits.
- Guarantee that nobody will be forced to a country that is unsafe for them.
- Uphold and strengthen the right to asylum in Europe - regardless of how people arrive, or where they come from.
Notes to editors:
The Return Regulation outlines a common system for the return of non-EU citizens, who do not or no longer meet the conditions for entry, stay or residence in the EU. In March 2025, the European Commission published its full proposal, allowing states to take new approaches to deport people.
So-called ‘return hubs’ are detention facilities located outside of the EU’s borders, designed to hold people whose asylum cases have been refused or who have been deemed unauthorised to remain in the EU for any other reason. At the moment, people staying irregularly in the EU are usually allowed to remain on its territory until they are deported. However, under this new law, people would be forcibly removed to facilities in non-EU countries whilst awaiting their final deportation.
The ‘safe third country’ agreement outlines where people can be deported to - other than their country of origin - if their application for international protection is denied without being examined in full. It removes the previous need for there to be a personal connection between the applicant and that country, making it possible for people to be sent to a country they have only briefly traveled through, or never set foot in and have no connection with.
The ‘safe country of origin’ list deems certain countries, from which 20% or fewer applicants are granted international protection in the EU, to be safe. As a result, their asylum applications fast-tracked rather than processed on their individual merits, and likely denied. This could result in people with specific vulnerabilities slipping through the net, or not being able to access adequate legal support. The current countries deemed to be ‘safe’ are Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia.
Learn more in our explainer: What do the latest decisions on ‘safe countries’ and returns mean for people on the move?