Brussels, Belgium, 17 June 2026 —  Following a visit to one of Italy’s detention centres in Albania, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that using these centres as a blueprint for the EU’s new ‘return hubs’ is “a dangerous mistake” which risks replicating existing problems, rather than establishing a fair, humane migration system.

This afternoon, the European Parliament is expected to vote to approve the Return Regulation - new legislation that the IRC warns will lead to the systematic dismantling of people’s rights and protections, based solely on their migration status in Europe.

The rules will allow EU states to conduct immigration raids on communities, systematically detain people for up to 30 months or in some cases indefinitely, and deport people to countries where they could face serious human rights violations. They will also enable EU states to strike deals with non-EU countries to establish so-called ‘return hubs’ on their territory. These de-facto detention centres for people awaiting deportation will essentially be legal black holes, where EU policymakers cannot guarantee that people’s rights will be upheld.

Last week, the IRC visited one of Italy’s offshore detention centres in Albania - widely understood to serve as a blueprint for the ‘return hubs’  - and found deeply troubling conditions. 

Located on a former Albanian military airbase, as of last week the Gjader facility had held approximately 620 people since it was repurposed as a pre-return detention center. Its current cohort of around 70 detainees face constant surveillance, with more than 150 police officers on rotating shifts and the reported use of drones flying over the facility.

Detainees reported widespread mental health issues that are not being adequately addressed, and a lack of connection to the outside world. People detained in the centre have their phones taken on arrival, face significant barriers to accessing information, and struggle to contact loved ones. One man had been unable to speak to his four-year-old son since arriving, as calls are only permitted within restricted hours.

Flaminia Delle Cese, IRC Italy’s Legal and Advocacy Advisor, says:

“What I saw last week confirms what the IRC has been warning since the plans to open these centres were first revealed: this is a cruel, costly and counterproductive solution that strips people of their dignity and basic human rights. 

Detention in Albania is taking a visible toll on people's mental health. There are also reports of people with pre-existing mental health conditions being held here; a detention centre is simply the wrong place for them. 

Moving people to closed facilities outside EU soil punishes individuals who are already struggling to navigate an increasingly complex migration system. This dangerous model is an alarming step in the wrong direction. It must never become a blueprint for the EU’s approach to asylum and migration.”

Marta Welander, IRC’s EU Advocacy Director adds: 

“Replicating a system that is already broken is a dangerous mistake. In the rush to make more deportations possible, policymakers have rushed through the Return Regulation - failing to put in place the safeguards needed to prevent wrongful detention, abuses of power, and human rights violations.

We are firmly opposed to the creation and use of the EU’s new so-called 'return hubs'. It’s time for EU leaders to press pause, and heed the warnings from civil society groups, legal and human rights experts, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, and even legal advisors within the EU institutions, which have repeatedly been pushed aside.

The EU needs to shift its focus from deterring people from arriving on its territory at all costs to investing in welcome, reception and integration. Threatening to tear families apart and uproot people from their homes merely prevents them from contributing positively to their new communities, and exacerbates their trauma and suffering.”

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