This call comes amid the rise of far-right anti-immigration parties in Europe, as recently evidenced by the electoral victory of Austria’s FPÖ and the dominant support for similar parties in countries such as Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The call was drafted by the Netherlands and Austria and is supported by countries including France, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Finland, and Croatia.
The fourteen EU member states, together with three non-EU countries affiliated with the Schengen Area – Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein – have made an appeal to the European Commission to propose new legislation that speeds up the return of migrants to their home countries. Their request will be discussed informally ('during lunch') behind closed doors for the first time this week.
These countries believe that current rules allow too much room for interpretation by judges, which causes delays in the deportation process. The signatories insist that Brussels impose clear obligations for returns and reduce opportunities for legal obstruction. This can only happen if EU countries and the European Parliament agree.
The discussion about the return policy for temporary asylum seekers has influenced political debates within the EU for many years. Countries like Greece and Italy are heavily affected by migrants arriving via the Mediterranean Sea. Those countries have long called for a fair distribution ('relocation') of asylum seeker accommodation.
According to proponents, the tightened return policy would not only reduce pressure on these countries but also serve as a deterrent for future migrants attempting to enter Europe illegally. The new right-wing coalition in the Netherlands says it intends to exempt itself from the EU’s migrant accommodation rules.
According to Eurostat, in 2023, 484,160 non-EU citizens were ordered to leave the EU, of whom 91,465 (18.9%) actually returned. One of the advocated findings is that rejected migrants who are not returned pose a security risk, an issue that has been debated since 2018 but has not yet been formally adopted.
This stricter approach to migration is driven by concerns over migration flows and the political pressure associated with them, especially in Germany, where the government recently decided to introduce temporary border controls. Other countries like Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia have long conducted spot checks at borders despite the Schengen agreements.
The call for tightened rules comes a few weeks ahead of a crucial EU summit on migration. Proposals for managing migration files and requiring migrants to cooperate with their identification process will be among the topics discussed.