The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to approve sweeping new migration legislation that significantly expands detention powers for EU authorities and paves the way for the creation of so-called "return hubs" — deportation centres located outside the bloc's territory. The vote in Strasbourg passed 418 to 218, representing one of the final legislative steps in a years-long reform process driven by mounting political pressure across the continent to reduce irregular migration.

The new rules require third-country nationals who have received a return decision to cooperate with authorities and leave EU territory, allow for detention to prevent people from absconding, and introduce stricter measures for those deemed a security risk. The legislation is designed to close what supporters called the "back door" of the EU's migration framework, complementing the broader EU Pact on Migration and Asylum that came into force in June. Malik Azmani, a Dutch centrist member of the European Parliament who sponsored the bill, described the result as completing "the final piece of the European migration system." EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner framed the vote as a reassertion of European control, saying: "This regulation tells everybody that it is us and not the smugglers deciding who can stay in the European Union and who must leave."

Central to the legislation is the concept of return hubs — facilities outside EU borders where migrants with no legal right to remain could be transferred. Once a fringe proposal, the idea has gained significant mainstream traction. Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands are among the countries actively exploring how to establish such centres, and most EU member states agreed this week to seek EU funding to operate them, a move opposed by France and Spain. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said agreements to create the first centres could be finalised in 2026, with the facilities operational by 2027.

The vote was greeted with sharply divided reactions inside the Strasbourg chamber. Far-right lawmakers cheered and chanted "send them back," while left-leaning MEPs responded with cries of "shame on you," a scene that illustrated the deep political fault lines the legislation has exposed. Human rights groups have strongly criticised the measures, while right-wing French MEP François-Xavier Bellamy called it "a historic step for Europe."

The legislation comes amid a broader context of falling irregular arrivals — Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard agency, recorded roughly 178,000 irregular crossings in 2025, down 26 per cent from the previous year and less than half the 2023 figure — yet the EU's return rate remains stubbornly low, with only about 28 per cent of those ordered to leave actually departing. Supporters argue tougher rules are overdue; critics point to troubled precedents, including the UK's Rwanda deportation scheme, which never launched, and Italy's Albanian processing facilities, which have faced repeated legal challenges.