MPG presents new Insights on Return Policies at FAiR Consortium meeting in Istanbul

On 14-15 May 2025, MPG took part in the FAiR Consortium meeting hosted at Koç University in Istanbul. The event brought together researchers and policy experts to explore the state of return and readmission systems in Europe, with a particular focus on their legal foundations, implementation, and human rights implications.

MPG presented early findings from its mapping of bilateral return and readmission agreements. The results reveal significant gaps in transparency, legal accountability, and the inclusion of safeguards for returnees. Key insights include:

• More than half of the agreements are legally binding, but most lack enforcement mechanisms or sanctions for non-compliance.

• The vast majority focus solely on return, with little to no attention to legal migration pathways or reintegration support.

• Clear implementation procedures and timelines are often missing, making practical application inconsistent and opaque.

• External monitoring is rare, with only three agreements involving independent oversight or stakeholder engagement.

• EU-level agreements contain stronger human rights language, but continue to prioritise the interests of EU Member States over mutual accountability.

In a dedicated session, Dr. Başak Yavçan, Head of Research at MPG, and Dr. Carmine Conte, Senior Legal Policy Analyst, introduced the forthcoming Migration Return Policy Index (MIREX). MIREX is the first comparative tool of its kind to systematically assess national return policies across the European Union. Although the full index will be published later this year, preliminary results already highlight structural weaknesses in national frameworks. These include the absence of community-based alternatives to detention and a general overreliance on coercive measures.

“The majority of countries offer only limited alternative measures to detention. Community-based alternatives are not included in any country. This reflects a systemic failure to prioritise rights-based approaches over coercive and punitive ones,” said Carmine Conte.

With the EU Return Regulation currently under debate, MPG’s contribution through MIREX offers timely and much-needed analysis. It sheds light on the persistent disconnect between policy rhetoric and practice, and calls for more humane, sustainable, and legally sound return systems.

MPG’s participation in the FAiR Consortium meeting reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting migration policies that are grounded in rights, data, and fairness.

The MIREX index will be formally launched later in 2025.