New EU Return Regulation advances despite concerns over human rights

 On 9 March 2026, the European Parliament Civil Liberties (LIBE) Committee adopted its position on a new EU Return Regulation aimed at increasing the deportation of migrants without legal status.

The proposal introduces tougher return rules, including the possibility of sending rejected asylum seekers to “return hubs” outside the EU and expanding detention and entry bans for those who refuse to leave.

The vote passed with support from centre-right and far-right MEPs, highlighting a shift in Parliament’s usual coalition on migration policy.

The committee vote is a key step in the legislative process, with a full European Parliament plenary vote expected soon before negotiations with EU member states on the final law.

Reacting to the votes, Carmine Conte, MPG’s Senior Legal Policy Analyst, said:

“This vote confirmed our concerns about the EU’s growing focus on enforcement in return policy at the expense of basic human rights. The LIBE committee approved longer detention periods, including the risk of detaining children, as well as return hubs and harsher measures targeting returnees and undocumented migrants, including home searches.

Our Migrant Return Policy Index (MIREX) shows that across Europe, return policies already face major gaps in fundamental rights safeguards, alternatives to detention, and regularisation programmes. This new legislation risks making these gaps even wider. If the EU wants return policies to be fair and legitimate, human rights safeguards must be strengthened and policies must remain firmly aligned with EU fundamental values”.