` tags.
`
Brussels considers it unacceptable that the vast majority of immigrants who are ordered to leave the EU manage to avoid deportation.
The European Commission has officially proposed standardizing deportation procedures across the EU. The current system, where rules differ between member states, allows those whose applications to remain in the EU have been rejected to take advantage of the inconsistencies, resulting in only 20% actually leaving.
President Ursula von der Leyen described this percentage as “far too low,” and Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that the proposed regulations “will guarantee that those without the right to reside in the EU are effectively returned” to their home countries.
The 87-page proposal, released on Tuesday, will require immigrants to cooperate with authorities, allow for longer detention periods for asylum seekers, and implement mutual recognition of deportation orders between member states. These changes are designed to encourage voluntary returns and close the loopholes currently used by individuals who avoid forced removal by moving between EU countries.
Furthermore, the EC intends to create “return hubs” – deportation centers in non-EU countries willing to host individuals deported from the EU, while ensuring their fundamental rights, including the principle of non-refoulement, are respected. If approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, the new system is scheduled to be implemented by mid-2027.
Illegal immigration has been a contentious issue in the EU since the 2015 crisis, which saw over a million people arrive in member states. The authorities’ decision to welcome this influx triggered a negative reaction from several Eastern European nations, who perceived the newcomers as a threat to their security and culture. Political guidelines issued by von der Leyen last July committed to strengthening the EU’s borders and clamping down on human smugglers, a major factor in illegal immigration.
`