Even as irregular migration to Europe continues to decline, EU home affairs ministers have agreed on some of the bloc’s most restrictive migration measures to date — moves that stand in stark contrast to Washington’s recent security strategy, which accused Europe of facing “civilisational erasure” due to lax border controls.
US criticism diverges from Europe’s realities
The US national security strategy released this week sharply criticised European migration policies. However, EU data indicates that unauthorised arrivals are falling, and European governments are tightening — not loosening — migration controls.
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Danish Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said the reforms would help fix a “dysfunctional” system and restore a sense of control.
Return hubs: outsourcing asylum processing
A major reform endorsed by ministers is the legal basis for “return hubs” — detention centres outside the EU where migrants may be sent for asylum processing or repatriation.
The rules would allow EU states to:
- strike bilateral deals with non-EU countries,
- send migrants there even without existing ties to those countries,
- process asylum claims or arrange removal from EU soil.
Italy is currently the first EU nation to test this model, establishing detention centres in Albania in 2024. However, legal challenges have stalled operations. Rome said Monday’s ministerial agreement strengthens its case to resume the initiative.
Migration policy analyst Helena Hahn cautioned that the “jury is still out” on how return hubs will function in practice, particularly regarding which non-EU countries would agree to host them.
Human rights groups raise concerns
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch sharply criticised the reforms, arguing that Europe risks mirroring the “dehumanising and unlawful mass arrests, detention and deportations” seen in US crackdowns.
NGOs say the EU is attempting to “shirk responsibility” by shifting asylum processing to third countries already hosting large displaced populations.
Stoklund rejected these concerns, saying EU states would remain responsible for upholding human rights in any return centre.
Faster deportations and tougher compliance measures
Ministers also backed rules designed to speed up deportations, including:
- stricter penalties for migrants who ignore expulsion orders,
- trade consequences for countries that refuse to cooperate,
- a unified list of “safe countries” for fast-track asylum denials.
Bangladesh — where only 4% of asylum seekers were accepted last year — tops the new list, alongside India, Colombia, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. EU candidate states such as Montenegro, Moldova and Serbia will also be considered safe, barring conflict or rights violations.
Sharing responsibility: a limited solidarity mechanism
In a rare move away from restrictive policy, ministers finalised the “solidarity pool”, allowing member states to:
- take in a share of asylum seekers from frontline countries such as Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Spain, or
- contribute financial support instead.
Hahn called this a “big step” towards fairer allocation of responsibility — an issue that has divided EU states for more than a decade.
Hungary has already vowed to defy the scheme, raising the possibility of legal disputes with Brussels.
Migration remains a top voter concern
Across Europe, irregular migration ranks among the most significant public concerns, just behind Russia’s war in Ukraine. The rise of far-right parties has pushed centrist governments to demonstrate tougher border control and deportation capacity.
“We are looking at a largely restrictive immigration agenda,” Hahn said, noting that many EU governments continue to test “innovative solutions” aimed at deterrence. But she warned outcomes so far have been limited.
“It is not as easy as moving people from A to B,” she said, emphasising political and diplomatic challenges.