FOLLOW-UP-INA
European Union talks on reforming migration rules, including plans to establish “return hubs” outside the bloc, ended without agreement on Wednesday and are set to resume on Thursday, according to sources in Brussels.
EU lawmakers and member states had been expected to agree on tougher migration rules introduced in response to growing political pressure across the 27-member bloc to curb migration.
Diplomatic sources said several issues remain unresolved, particularly regarding the timeline for implementation.
However, governments and representatives of the European Parliament agreed to reconvene on Thursday morning in hopes of reaching a deal.
“We must return people who have no right to stay in the European Union,” EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner wrote on social media during the talks.
“This is what the new rules will deliver: more control over who can come to the EU, who can stay, and who must leave,” he added.
The proposal, which has been criticized by human rights organizations, would allow the establishment of centers outside EU borders where migrants whose asylum applications have been rejected could be sent.
It could also pave the way for stricter penalties on migrants who refuse to leave, including detention and entry bans.
Amnesty International official Olivia Sundberg Diez said the proposals “risk trapping more people in dangerous situations and will cause serious harm both to migrants and to the communities hosting them.”
A number of countries, including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and Netherlands, have continued exploring options for creating such centers.
With migrant arrivals declining, the focus in Brussels has shifted toward improving the system for returning migrants to their home countries.
The European Commission announced this month that it had invited officials from the Taliban to Brussels for talks on returning Afghan migrants, a move that has raised practical and ethical concerns.
In May, Austria signed a migration agreement with Uzbekistan aimed at facilitating deportations, with a particular focus on Afghan nationals.
Supporters of the policy argue that return hubs could streamline deportations by housing migrants who have no right to remain in Europe while awaiting repatriation, and could also serve as a deterrent.
But other countries, including France and Spain, remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the plan and have stayed largely outside the discussions.
