Published on
17/06/2026 - 13:22 GMT+2
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a law aimed at speeding up the return of migrants with no legal right to remain in the EU, thanks to backing from centre-right and far-right political groups.
The “return regulation” is the bloc's toughest shift in migration policy in decades. It is considered controversial as it would allow EU countries to set up deportation centres outside the bloc, known as return hubs, through agreements with non-EU countries.
These hubs could serve either as transit facilities, where people await return to their country of origin, or as locations where migrants remain for an extended period, potentially without a time limit or guarantee of onward return. Only unaccompanied minors would be exempt from the measure, while families with children could be transferred to the hubs.
