On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed allowing EU member states to establish facilities in non-EU countries where rejected asylum seekers would stay while awaiting deportation.

EU nations have struggled to ensure that migrants denied asylum actually leave their territories. To address this, the plan suggests setting up "return hubs" outside the EU, where deportation procedures would take place.

"While the EU upholds some of the world’s highest asylum standards, the system is unsustainable if those without the right to stay exploit it," said EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner. He noted that only one in five ordered to leave the EU actually does so, calling the situation unacceptable.

The proposal seeks to standardize regulations across the EU so that an expulsion order from one member state applies to the entire bloc. It remains subject to approval by the European Parliament and member countries and is part of the migration and asylum pact finalized in late 2023.

Although illegal border crossings into the EU fell by 38% last year—the lowest since 2021—immigration remains a contentious issue across the 27-member bloc.

Rights groups have strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it could lead to prolonged detention and human rights abuses. Amnesty International’s Eve Geddie accused the Commission of yielding to pressure from anti-migration governments, calling the plan costly, impractical, and inhumane.

The proposal also includes provisions allowing member states to detain individuals for up to two years if they are deemed security threats.