Brussels, Belgium, 26 March 2026 — This morning, the European Parliament voted to move forward with the Return Regulation, with trilogues on this key file due to begin as early as this afternoon.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been warning that this vote marks a “historic setback for refugee rights”, and is calling on the EU to uphold its own legal and moral principles as negotiations move forward.
Marta Welander, the IRC’s EU Advocacy Director, says:
“The result of this vote marks a historic setback for refugee rights. It will strip people of rights and protections, based solely on their migration status in Europe, and pave the way towards a new punitive EU asylum and migration regime, designed to deter, detain and deport people seeking safety. The EU should stand for a system that protects lives, not one that criminalises survival. As this file enters the next step of negotiations, we urge the EU to uphold its own legal and moral principles, stand firm against those who seek to demonise and dehumanise people seeking protection, and forge truly sustainable solutions.”
Learn more about the likely outcomes of the vote in our press release from Tuesday 24th March.