Deportation centers in third countries EU drastically tightens migration policy
Centers in other EU countries for more deportations: The EU agrees on massive tightening of migration policy. The law has a controversial history.
01.06.2026, 22:21
01.06.2026, 22:31
dpa
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- The EU Parliament and member states have agreed to tighten up migration policy and paved the way for deportation centers in third countries.
- The return centers outside the European Union will be used for rejected asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their countries of origin.
- Various member states are currently trying to reach agreements with countries that would be willing to set up such return centers on their territory.
- The number of deportations in the EU rose last year, but the number of asylum applications in the EU has also fallen continuously recently.
The European Union is paving the way for return centers in third countries and the tightening of further asylum rules in order to enable more deportations. This is the result of an agreement reached by representatives of the European Parliament and the governments of the member states this evening, according to the Cypriot EU Council Presidency.
The Parliament and the EU member states must now give their final approval to the compromise before the new deportation rules can come into force. This is usually a formality.
The special return centers ("return hubs") outside the European Union are intended for rejected asylum seekers who cannot be returned to their countries of origin - for example, because their home country refuses to take them back or the German government does not maintain diplomatic relations with the country in question.
It is still unclear where such centers could be set up outside the EU. The aim is to facilitate more deportations and thus reduce the proportion of migrants in the EU who are required to leave the country. Under the new regulations, unaccompanied minors will not be deported. However, families with children will already have this option.
Germany and other EU countries are looking for partner states
According to the plans, the prerequisite for deportations will be a corresponding agreement with a third country. This country would then host the refugees and in return would probably receive money or preferential treatment when issuing visas.
Germany is currently working with several other EU states to reach agreements with countries that would be willing to set up such return centers on their territory. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has repeatedly spoken out in favor of the so-called return hubs.
Italy's Albania model ended up before the European Court of Justice
Until now, there was no EU framework for such third-country solutions. Italy had concluded an agreement with Albania to outsource both detention pending deportation and asylum procedures there. The model ended up before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) due to legal action - a final ruling is still pending.
In contrast, the UK's attempt to outsource asylum procedures to third countries using the so-called Rwanda model has already failed resoundingly. The country wanted to bring asylum seekers to Rwanda, who would then stay there if they were granted protection status after the examination. Despite costs of around 830 million euros, the plan was never actually implemented due to court rulings.
A legal basis for outsourcing the entire asylum procedure as in the Rwanda model - i.e. not just deportation to a third country - was already adopted in the EU at the end of last year.
Europe-wide abolition of maintenance payments possible
The agreement also stipulates, for example, how rejected asylum seekers must cooperate in their own deportation if they do not want to be arrested. They are also threatened throughout Europe with the reduction or withdrawal of maintenance payments or the confiscation of travel documents.
Detention pending deportation is also possible if the responsible officials in the member states identify a risk of absconding or a risk to national security. The permitted period of detention will be extended with the new rules, according to negotiating circles to a maximum of 24 months with a possible extension of a further six months in special cases.
More deportations and fewer asylum applications recently
The number of deportations in the EU increased last year. According to the European Commission, around 28% of migrants in the EU who were required to leave the country were returned in 2025. At the same time, the number of asylum applications in the EU has fallen continuously recently.
In Germany, for example, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), the number of applications in May was the lowest since 2020, when hardly any people were able to enter Germany due to the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the EU border protection agency Frontex, there has also recently been a significant decline in irregular border crossings into the European Union.
WhatsApp group from the EPP and right-wing parties drew criticism
The agreement on the new asylum rules was preceded by a joint decision by the European People's Party (EPP) under the leadership of Manfred Weber (CSU) and the right wing of the EU Parliament. Research by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur revealed that the EPP had cooperated more closely with the right wing on the issue than had previously been known.
According to the report, staff members made arrangements in a WhatsApp chat group and MEPs met in person. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among others, had clearly criticized this. "We do not work together with right-wing extremists in the European Parliament", the CDU leader declared.
EPP leader Weber nevertheless defended the subsequent vote in Parliament on the controversial migration law. He said that it clearly showed that European solutions to combat illegal migration were possible.
Apart from the question of when certain rules of the new regulation should come into force, the EU Parliament and the member states had already reached an agreement on the details of the content a few days ago. According to negotiating circles, countries wanted more time to implement certain regulations in order to adapt national legislation.