BRUSSELS — In a contentious and high‑stakes plenary session on 26 March 2026, the European Parliament voted to endorse its negotiating position on a far‑reaching reform of the EU’s return and deportation regime, including provisions that make it easier for member states to establish migrant detention and processing centres in countries outside the European Union. The vote, conducted as part of first‑reading legislative work on the proposed Return Regulation, passed with 389 lawmakers in favour, 206 against and 32 abstaining, a division that underscored deep political fault lines within the chamber. With this result, Parliament has paved the way for inter‑institutional negotiations (trilogue talks) with the European Council — representing member states — and the European Commission on the final shape of the law.
The proposed regulation is part of a comprehensive overhaul of EU migration and asylum policy agreed under the broader New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is set to take effect in mid‑2026. The regulation would replace the existing EU Returns Directive with a uniform legal framework governing the return of third‑country nationals who do not or no longer meet conditions for entry, stay or residence in EU territory. Central to the reform is the concept of “return hubs” — facilities located in third countries with which individual member states or small groups of states can conclude agreements to detain and process people whose asylum claims have been rejected or who have no legal right to remain. Crucially, under the Parliament’s negotiating position, these hubs can be established even in the absence of a direct connection between the migrant and the host country, a departure from previous restrictions that typically required some link such as transit or origin.
The parliamentary vote reflected an unusual coalition of political forces. Centre‑right groups, most notably the European People’s Party (EPP), joined with nationalist and far‑right factions that have grown in strength since the 2024 European elections, to secure the necessary majority. This alliance overcame resistance from the centre‑left, the Greens/European Free Alliance and The Left, who have consistently raised concerns about the human rights implications of the reforms. Opponents argue that outsourcing detention and deportation processes to third countries poses grave risks to the protection of fundamental rights and could undermine the EU’s commitments under international law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and the principle of non‑refoulement.
Under the text endorsed by Parliament, member states would be able to negotiate agreements or arrangements with individual third countries on the establishment of return hubs. These agreements are intended to set out conditions for the stay of migrants in the host country and procedures for onward return to their final country of origin. According to the existing Council position agreed in December 2025, such arrangements may only be concluded with countries where international human rights standards and principles of international law are respected, and must include clear procedures for returns and safeguards for migrants’ rights. However, critics contend that even these provisos are insufficient to prevent abuses in practice, given the variability in legal systems and enforcement mechanisms in potential host countries.
Several EU member states have already signalled their intent to participate actively in the creation of return hubs. Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark have entered preliminary negotiations with governments in Africa to identify potential locations for such facilities and to craft bilateral frameworks that would govern their operation. These discussions reflect a growing consensus among certain governments that current return mechanisms — under which only about one in five return orders is enforced — are inadequate and fail to provide effective deterrents against irregular migration. Proponents assert that return hubs could act both as deterrent measures and as logistical hubs that streamline and accelerate deportations, addressing political pressures in countries facing high migration flows.
Supporters of the reform, including lawmakers in the EPP and allied groups, argue that an EU‑wide, consistent approach to returns is essential to increasing compliance with return decisions and restoring public confidence in the bloc’s ability to manage its external borders. They emphasise that detention centres in third countries — when governed by rigorous agreements and oversight — could reduce the burden on frontline member states and create clearer pathways for orderly and decisive enforcement of return orders. Some proponents have explicitly pointed to deportation models used outside Europe as examples of robust enforcement strategies, and some political allies have framed the policy as an overdue assertion of sovereignty over irregular migration.
However, human rights advocates and opposition MEPs have condemned the vote as a “historic setback” for refugee and migrant protections. Organisations such as Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee and others have released statements warning that return hubs risk becoming “human rights black holes” where fundamental safeguards are difficult to enforce and oversight is limited. They argue that the lack of clear accountability mechanisms, coupled with the potential for extended or indefinite detention in third countries, raises serious legal and ethical questions. Amnesty International particularly highlighted concerns about the rushed nature of negotiations within Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee earlier in March and the broad delegation of discretion to member states without adequate human rights assessments.
Critics also warn that the reform could incentivise partnerships with countries that do not have strong records on rule of law, civil liberties or protections for vulnerable populations. Detractors emphasise that many potential host nations — particularly in Africa or the Middle East — may be unable or unwilling to guarantee the same standards of detention conditions or legal recourse as those available within the EU. There is particular concern about the principle of non‑refoulement in situations where migrants might eventually be returned to countries where they face real risks of persecution, torture or arbitrary detention. Such outcomes could expose the EU to legal challenges and international criticism.
The debate in Parliament also underscored ideological divides within the European policy landscape. For the first time in recent history, a bloc of centre‑right and far‑right parties successfully collaborated to shape a major piece of migration legislation, effectively eroding the so‑called “cordon sanitaire” that traditionally kept far‑right factions isolated from mainstream legislative coalitions. Opposition MEPs from the Greens and left‑leaning groups condemned this shift, suggesting it signals a broader rightward drift in EU migration policy and a weakening of the bloc’s commitment to asylum and refugee protection. Such concerns are compounded by parallel changes under the broader migration pact, including revisions to the list of “safe countries of origin” and expanded criteria for designating third countries for deportation.
Despite the divisive political climate, the procedural outcome of the vote is clear: Parliament has adopted its position and will now engage with the Council and Commission to negotiate the final legal text. Rapporteur Malik Azmani of Renew Europe is expected to lead Parliament’s negotiating team in trilogue discussions, which will focus on reconciling Parliament’s amendments with the Council’s position and the Commission’s original proposal. A first round of inter‑institutional talks is anticipated soon under the Cypriot Presidency of the Council. The timeline for final adoption remains subject to these negotiations, but stakeholders expect continued urgency given the planned implementation of key migration and asylum measures later in 2026.
Looking ahead, if an agreement is reached and the new Return Regulation is formally adopted by EU institutions, member states will begin to integrate the provisions into their national legal frameworks and operational plans. This could include drafting bilateral agreements with third‑country partners, determining oversight and monitoring mechanisms for return hubs, and adjusting domestic detention and deportation procedures. The implementation phase will likely test the practical viability of return hubs and their compliance with international legal obligations, as well as the EU’s capacity to balance migration control with human rights protections.
In sum, the European Parliament’s vote on 26 March 2026 represents a watershed moment in EU migration policy. It reflects a growing political consensus among certain factions for stricter enforcement of return policies, while exposing deep fractures over the ethical and legal implications of outsourcing aspects of migration governance to countries outside the Union. As negotiations proceed and member states begin to operationalise these measures, the debate over the future direction of migration and asylum policy in Europe is set to intensify, with significant implications for migrants, host‑state relations, and the EU’s global role in upholding human rights standards.
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