Migrants seeking asylum illegally in Europe will face tougher conditions starting Friday, after an EU summit in Brussels agreed that countries outside the 27-nation bloc could handle returns to their original homes.
“New ways to prevent and counter irregular migration should be considered, in line with EU and international law,” the leaders said in the conclusions of their one-day meeting.
The European Council called for "determined action at all levels to facilitate, increase and speed up returns from the European Union," adding that the European Commission should begin drafting new laws to enforce these recommendations.
Danish Prime Minsiter Mette Frederiksen told the summit: “Things are changing in the EU. Now the majority of leaders are saying the same: that we cannot continue. The numbers are too high. We have to return those who should not be protected in Europe.”
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who heads a government dominated by the party of far-right leader Geert Wilders, added: “We see that there is a different mood in Europe.”
Perceived threat
Nearly 10 years ago, Germany's then-Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed around a million migrants and refugees from the Middle East and Afghanistan into Europe.
Now, most EU governments view the influx of irregular migrants as a political and security threat, driving the rise of far-right and populist parties across the continent.
While irregular arrivals last year were less than a third of the 1 million seen during the 2015 migration crisis, the number fell even further in the first nine months of 2023 to 166,000, according to data from Frontex, the EU’s border agency.
However, Frontex reported a 192 percent surge in people arriving at the EU’s border with Belarus in January-September, bringing the total to 13,195.
Arrivals in the Spanish Canary Islands also doubled, reaching 30,616.
Ahead of the summit, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Schoof and Frederiksen met with other countries in favour of outsourcing migrant returns. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also joined the talks.
She admitted that creating "return hubs" outside Europe for migrants trying to enter the continent would not be straightforward. Von der Leyen acknowledged there were still questions about how these centres would operate.
Wider picture
Spainish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that such schemes could create more problems than they solve. He emphasised the need for regular migration routes, noting Europe’s ageing population and labour shortages.
“Orderly and responsible migration is a response to the demographic challenge facing Europe,” Sanchez said.
In a letter this week, von der Leyen pledged that the EU would learn from Italy’s deal with Albania to send some migrants there for processing.
The rise of anti-immigrant sentiment has been reflected in European elections, where hard-right parties performed well in June's European Parliament elections and have topped recent national and regional votes in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.
France also saw a shift to the right after parliamentary elections in July.
