File photo of asylum seekers reporting to a registration center in the Netherlands on May 20, 2026. Photo: Jaspar Moulijn / ANP / AFP / Lehtikuva
International news
The European Parliament has approved a new migration law that expands powers to return migrants staying illegally in the European Union and allows member states to establish return centres outside the bloc.
The legislation passed on Wednesday by 418 votes to 218, with 30 abstentions, marking one of the most significant changes to EU return policy in nearly two decades.
The new rules require third-country nationals who receive a return decision to cooperate with authorities and leave the EU either immediately or within a specified period.
