The European Commission is set to announce a proposal aimed at reforming the deportation system for rejected asylum seekers. This proposal includes amending the criteria for designating safe countries for deportation, eliminating the requirement for a connection between the individual and the country of deportation, and considering the option to proceed with deportations even if legal remedies have not been exhausted.
The new EU proposal responds to demands from several EU countries for reforming the return system. It aims to facilitate the establishment of return centers outside national borders to expedite deportations to countries of origin or third countries. Italy has already initiated this by setting up two return centers in Albania, a move that other nations, including Germany and the United Kingdom, are looking to replicate, despite its violation of European and international law.
The European plan allows for the deportation of rejected asylum seekers to a third country without requiring any connection between the deportee and the receiving country—a proposal opposed by refugee and human rights organizations. They argue that such a policy could expose individuals to serious risks in countries with which they have no ties, constituting a violation of their human rights. According to Sarah Chander, Director of the Equinox Initiative for Racial Justice: “Through these reforms, the EU is paving the way for migrants to be removed and deported to virtually anywhere, putting people at risk while enriching private security companies invested in the deportation industry.”
The European Union seeks to eliminate the link requirement to facilitate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and individuals convicted of crimes. Many countries of origin often refuse to accept deportees, and European politicians argue that human rights and refugee rights agreements hinder the deportation of these individuals.
Legally, the new plan allows for the deportation of people despite the failure to exhaust legal methods, as EU countries will have the right to continue to carry out deportations before the end of the appeal against the deportation order, which prevents deported persons from returning to the European Union or obtaining compensation.
The European Union’s plan faces strong opposition from refugee support organizations, human rights groups, and left-wing and Green Party members of the European Parliament. According to Spanish MP and human rights advocate Estrella Galán, the EU’s proposal to change the deportation system contradicts international law. Galán believes the plan was introduced in response to demands from the far right. She stated, “We strongly oppose this migration policy dictated by the far right, which seeks to isolate Europe at any cost—even at the expense of human rights.”
