Europe reaches a turning point in immigration policy.

On June 1st, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on the Repatriation Regulation, a piece of legislation establishing a common system across the bloc for deporting illegal residents in member states. This represents one of the biggest turning points in European immigration policy in decades.

The European Union flag outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo: THX/VNA)

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Brussels, the agreement was finalized amidst statistics showing that the current system is no longer effective. Only about 29% of migrants forced to leave the EU are actually deported. This means that out of four people in this category, three remain, usually by moving to another member state, changing their address, or simply "disappearing from sight." The new law is designed to close these loopholes.

The core of the regulation is that, for the first time, it imposes legal obligations on the deported individual themselves. Accordingly, individuals without the right of residence in the EU must proactively leave the territory of the relevant Member State, cooperate with authorities, provide identification documents, submit biometric data, and not obstruct the repatriation process. Previously, deported individuals technically did not violate any further laws if they refused to leave. Failure to comply could lead to more severe consequences.

Specifically, member states can cut subsidies and allowances under national law, deny benefits to voluntary repatriates, and, where national law permits, apply criminal sanctions including imprisonment. For those identified as a security threat, member states can issue entry bans exceeding the usual maximum of 10 years, even permanent bans, and may order their detention in prisons.

One of the most controversial provisions was the "return hubs" mechanism, which refers to repatriation centers located outside the EU. Under the new law, member states will be able to sign agreements with third countries to establish these centers as a temporary stopover before deported individuals are returned to their home country or other final destination. A mandatory condition is that the signatory country must respect international human rights standards and the principle of not returning individuals to places where they might be in danger. Unaccompanied minors are excluded from this mechanism.

The new regulations also introduce a common document that all member states must use when making deportation decisions, known as the European Repatriation Order. This order will lay the groundwork for mutual recognition of repatriation decisions among member states. However, mutual recognition will initially remain voluntary. The regulation will be reviewed after three years, at which point the European Commission may propose making this mechanism mandatory for all member states.

The Repatriation Regulation directly supplements the EU Treaty on Migration and Asylum, adopted in 2024 and entering into force this June. The Treaty already covers most aspects of migration policy, from health checks and border security, admission requirements, to asylum procedures. This Repatriation Regulation will address the biggest gap left by the Treaty: resolving the issue of individuals who have been denied asylum but refuse to leave.

This agreement still needs to be formally approved by both the Council and the European Parliament after all legal and linguistic revisions are completed.

VNA

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chau-au-dat-buoc-ngoat-ve-chinh-sach-di-tru-post966422.html