Brussels, June 1 (EFE).- European institutions reached a provisional political agreement on Monday concerning the Returns Regulation, which, among other measures, will permit the creation of «return hubs» in third countries for migrants slated for repatriation, speed up deportations, and generally toughen migration policy. The text was agreed upon by the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union (representing the bloc’s member states). The main new provision is the possibility for member states to deport migrants to these ‘return centers’ in third countries other than their country of origin. This is conditional on a prior agreement being signed and adherence to the principle of non-refoulement. Its approval was scheduled for last week but was delayed until Monday due to disagreements among co-legislators regarding the regulation’s implementation date. In the round of negotiations held on Monday, it was agreed that the legislation, including the return centers, will be immediately applicable once it enters into force. «The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,» said Nicholas A. Ioannides, Cyprus’s Deputy Minister of Migration, after the agreement. In the return hubs, third countries will be obligated to respect human rights, and the detention of unaccompanied minors will not be permitted. Another key change in the legislation is that migrants will now be required to cooperate in their return process. Failure to comply could result in penalties ranging from the withdrawal of social benefits and work permits to criminal sanctions, including imprisonment. The legislation also permits the detention of migrants based on their flight risk or other security concerns. For migrants deemed a risk to public or national security, prioritized expulsion is foreseen. They may be held in prisons (separate from ordinary inmates) and face indefinite entry bans. Spain was the only country to oppose the regulation after the Interior Ministers of the 27 member states reached a general approach. The legislation is opposed by Social Democratic, Green, and Left parties, who argue that the initiative is not aligned with a European approach but rather reflects a shift toward the far-right by the Popular parties. «The text finalised today is the result of a shameful agreement: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete,» stated Green MEP Mélissa Camara, chief negotiator for her parliamentary group. She added that the regulation weakens procedural rights, extends the duration of detentions, and makes it possible for authorities to carry out home raids. Silvia Carta, Head of Advocacy for the international platform PICUM, commented that the text will create «a draconian detention and deportation system». She lamented that «repression and punishment» were amplified in the final round of negotiations. Carta also criticized the text for exposing hundreds of thousands of people to harm and violence, including imprisonment in migrant detention centers for up to 30 months. Furthermore, she pointed to «tearing families apart and sending people to countries they do not know». Following this political agreement, and after a legal-linguistic review of the text, it must be put to a vote in the European Parliament and subsequently receive approval from the EU Council of Interior Ministers. EFE mas/dmv/mcd