Negotiations between the European Parliament and EU member states on a new regulation to speed up the return of irregular migrants have stalled, with the sole point of disagreement being the timeline for implementation. After three rounds of talks in Strasbourg, negotiators adjourned and will reconvene on 1 June, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
The proposed “return regulation” introduces a suite of stricter measures: allowing home searches for irregular migrants, establishing deportation centres outside the EU, extending detention periods, and lengthening entry bans. While the Parliament insists the rules should apply immediately, member states argue they need up to two years to adapt their national systems. Diplomats confirmed that all other contentious provisions—including the most controversial ones—have been provisionally agreed.
Home Searches and Return Hubs
Under the provisional text, national authorities would be permitted to search the “place of residence or other relevant premises” of irregular migrants, subject to a prior judicial or administrative order. The measure must be “proportionate and duly justified by the urgency of such search.” Civil society groups have compared this to the raids conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The regulation also allows EU countries to return irregular migrants to third countries unrelated to their origin, provided bilateral agreements exist to set up so-called “return hubs.” This provision has full backing from both the Parliament and the Council, with some member states already collaborating on such projects—Italy, for instance, is running a similar scheme in Albania. Both institutions also agreed to permit the deportation of families with children, excluding only unaccompanied minors.
Negotiators dropped a Parliament-backed proposal to allow talks with non-recognised third-country entities for readmission purposes. That idea had drawn criticism for potentially legitimising regimes like Afghanistan’s Taliban, even as the EU already cooperates on returns with problematic governments in Libya, Egypt, and Syria.
Longer Detention and Tougher Bans
The law would increase the maximum legal detention period for irregular migrants awaiting return from six months to two years, with unlimited detention for those deemed a security risk. Entry bans would extend from five to ten years, with lifelong bans possible for individuals posing a security threat.
Another significant change concerns appeals: under current law, any deportation is automatically suspended until a final judgment. The new regulation would leave that decision to judicial authorities on a case-by-case basis, removing the automatic suspensive effect.
Political Alignment and Next Steps
Despite the delay, the Parliament and member states are broadly aligned on the need to crack down on irregular migration. The European Commission has stressed the urgency of raising the return rate, which currently stands at around 28 percent of those ordered to leave, according to Eurostat. The Commission is pushing for a final agreement before the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum takes effect in mid-June.
Once a deal is reached, the text must be formally approved by MEPs and EU countries. In the Parliament, the centre-right European People’s Party is expected to align with far-right groups to secure passage, as it has done on other migration files—a pattern that has drawn criticism over a secret WhatsApp chat used to coordinate at committee level.
Green MEP Mélissa Camara, a vocal critic of the law, described the negotiations as “a parody of negotiations.” She told Euronews: “Instead of fighting for a dignified and humane text, they chose to focus on a ridiculous battle over when the text would start applying.”
The outcome of the 1 June talks will determine whether the EU can deliver on its promise to tighten return rules, a key pillar of its broader migration strategy. For now, the clock is ticking.
