EU set to approve new migration policy overhaul
EU ministers from all 27 member states are meeting in Brussels on Monday morning, poised to reach an agreement on an unprecedented overhaul of the bloc’s migration policies. The goal is to reduce the number of irregular migrants entering the EU and to accelerate the return of those already present to their countries of origin.
The Danish presidency, which is chairing the Council of the EU for this six-month period, aims to finalize all major migration files during today’s Justice and Home Affairs Council.
Three Key Proposals on the Table
The agenda includes three central legislative initiatives:
- A list of “safe countries” whose nationals would see most asylum applications rejected rapidly.
- A “safe third country” framework, enabling the establishment of asylum-processing centers outside EU territory.
- A new returns regulation, granting member states expanded powers to repatriate rejected applicants through a system of detention measures, entry bans, and return hubs.
Returns Mechanism: The Day’s Political Minefield
The returns file remains the most politically sensitive issue. A long-standing dispute over mandatory mutual recognition of return decisions has alarmed several governments. They fear such a system would allow frontline states to transfer migrants to other EU countries, leaving them to carry out deportation orders.
For now, ministers appear to be moving toward a compromise. The final draft foresees mutual recognition of return decisions, but only through a two-step mechanism that begins as optional and would become mandatory at a later stage following an evaluation.
