The European Parliament has voted to approve a mandate to begin negotiations on a sweeping overhaul of EU deportation rules , paving the way for stricter returns procedures across the bloc .
The new legal framework aims to significantly increase the deportation of undocumented third-country nationals through a unified, EU-wide system that includes stricter rules including the fast-tracking of asylum claims from certain nationalities and extended detention periods of up to 30 months.
Announced by President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU argues that this text is essential to complement the Pact on Migration Asylum which will enter into application in mid-2026, by complementing the framework in processing asylum applications "more quickly and more efficiently".
Rights groups including Amnesty International argue, however, say that instead of reducing irregularity, "these proposals risk trapping more people in precarious situations".
Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty’s European Institutions Office, said Thursday’s vote "marks a growing trend towards increasingly harmful, exclusionary, and draconian policies on migration, with worrying repercussions for due process and evidence-based policymaking". EU-wide system with faster deportations The European Union argues that the new regulation is needed to create a single return decision valid across all member states, replacing the current 2008 Returns Directive and helping to increase deportation rates across the bloc. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pointed to the low number of enforced returns as a key driver behind the reform.
"Today only around 20% of those who have a return decision leave Europe. This number is by far too low", she said, adding that "those with no right to stay must be swiftly removed, and there must be clear consequences for those who do not cooperate".
At present, the EU operates 27 different national return systems, each with its own procedures and enforcement mechanisms. According to the Commission, this fragmentation "undermines the effectiveness of returns at the Union level". The proposed framework would introduce a more harmonised system, streamlining procedures and making deportation decisions enforceable across the EU.
However, critics warn that the changes risk significantly expanding enforcement powers.
"This vote marks a dangerous turning point, as centre-right forces break the cordon sanitaire to align with the far right and push through a deeply repressive agenda", said Silvia Carta, advocacy officer at the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM).
She added that the emerging "toxic alliance" could pave the way for mass detention, family separation and deportations, "normalising abuse we've seen with ICE in the United States, and putting countless lives at risk". Expanded detention and increased enforcement powers The proposal would significantly expand the use of detention and strengthen enforcement powers available to national authorities. It includes measures allowing officials to restrict movement, search belongings, impose additional security requirements and increase data-sharing, including with third countries.
According to the European Commission , the maximum period of detention could be extended to up to 24 months, compared to the current limit of 18 months under existing EU rules.
The regulation also introduces stricter provisions for individuals deemed to pose a security risk, who could face mandatory return procedures, longer entry bans and separate detention regimes.
Advocacy groups say the measures go too far. Geddie described the amendments as "disproportionate requirements, sanctions and restrictions", warning that the EU is moving "to vastly expand its use of detention and for far longer periods, falling short of international legal standards".
Member states would also be "equipped with reinforced rules to locate returnees", according to the proposal.
Gianluca Cesaro, senior communications officer at PICUM, said this could amount to "broad and undefined detection measures to catch undocumented people".
He warned that the implementation of the text "could result in invasive surveillance , racial profiling and obligations for public workers to denounce undocumented people". Third-country return centres The proposed EU regulation envisions the establishment of third-country "return hubs" as part of a broader effort to manage migration and implement removal procedures for non-nationals deemed "unreturnable".
These centres would function as offshore detention facilities , where people could be held before being deported to their country of origin or to a third country, even if they have never previously lived there.
The European Commission and its supporters argue that return hubs are a crucial component of a credible and effective migration system.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, stated: "We must be firm and assertive in our approach, while staying true to the European values of fairness and fundamental rights".
Currently, five EU member states, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Greece, are reportedly collaborating on plans to establish such centres, without disclosing to the public the potential destination countries.
Critics have raised serious concerns over the legality and human rights implications of these proposals.
Amnesty’s Geddie compared the return hubs to "offshore detention centres" and warned that people would be transported to "countries where they have never set foot".
"Amnesty International is unequivocal: return hubs carry grave risks of rights violations, cannot be implemented in a human rights compliant manner, and should be rejected in full," she said.
Geddie also condemned the European Parliament’s recent vote to expand detention and deportation powers, arguing that it represents a rushed process lacking adequate scrutiny and meaningful human rights assessments.
She emphasised that the agreement appears to be the result of political compromise, favouring restrictive, punitive approaches over the protection of fundamental rights. Vote highlights political divisions over migration policy Lawmakers backed the negotiating mandate by 389 votes to 206, with around 30 abstentions, revealing a clear majority in favour of tightening EU deportation rules.
The result was driven by centre-right and liberal groups, including the centre-right EPP, the liberal centre Renew Europe and parts of the conservative ECR – most of whose MEPs voted in favour.
On the other hand, centre-left and left-wing parties, in addition to the Greens, largely opposed the measure, despite some Socialists voting for or abstaining from the mandate.
The vote, therefore, highlighted deep political divisions over migration policy, where despite being a palpable resistance to the move, it nevertheless fell short of derailing the policy.
Thursday’s Plenary session also followed the reported collapse of negotiations between the liberals, Renew, and the socialist S&D in the civil liberties committee, with German press agency DPA revealing how conservatives struck backroom deals with some far-right MEPs to convince them to vote for the stricter text.
With a majority voting for the draft, it will be put forward to the three EU institutions – Commission, Council and Parliament – who will enter in negotiations with the goal of finalising an official tex t.