EU return regulation, green light for hubs in third countries

After a long negotiation and several postponements, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have reached anagreement on the new return regulation, the measure intended to complete the regulatory framework of the Migration and Asylum Pact. The agreement was reached in trialogue between the negotiators of the two institutions and representsone of the most important steps of the European reform of migration policies.

The text introduces new rules for the management of third-country nationals who have no right to stay in the territory of the Union. The measures include specific obligations to cooperate with national authorities on the part of persons who are the subject of a return order, with the aim of making removal procedures more effective.

The agreement also provides for new instruments to strengthen coordination between member states and greater cooperation in return management. One of the most significant elements concerns the possibility for national governments to create return hubs in third countries for people who are not entitled to stay in the European Union.

According to the text, these facilities will be able to be used both as the final destination of returns and as transit centres with a view to transfer to countries of origin. Hubs will also be able to serve as a transit point to other third countries, expanding the options available to Member States in managing return procedures.

The understanding reached by the European co-legislators does not, however, conclude the legislative process. The compromise will now have to be submitted to the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and following the vote of the Strasbourg plenary.