BRUSSELS — The European Parliament voted Wednesday to approve a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s migration policy, a move that would allow member nations to establish detention facilities in other countries and accelerate the removal of migrants who have no legal right to remain.
The legislation, which still requires a final formal vote of approval from all 27 EU member governments, reflects a dramatic tightening of migration rules that has been building since more than one million refugees and migrants arrived in Europe between 2015 and 2016.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced support for the changes ahead of a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels, writing in a letter to member states on Tuesday: “The Return Regulation will provide the necessary tools to make returns more efficient, with faster and more effective procedures.”
EU nations have long complained that they cannot effectively enforce the departure of people whose asylum applications have been denied or who have overstayed their visas.
The shift in policy reflects the growing influence of anti-immigration sentiment across the EU over the past decade, a trend that has fueled support for far-right political parties throughout the bloc.
Opponents of the new rules contend that EU migration policy has swung too far toward punishment and removal, while ignoring the underlying reasons people flee their home countries — including war, poverty, and political persecution.
Volker Turk, the United Nations’ top human rights official, addressed the UN Human Rights Council on Monday with pointed criticism: “The dehumanization of migrants and refugees, including in the UK, US, and many EU countries, is appalling, often leading also to the denial of their rights.”
He added: “The European Union’s new rules on returning migrants risk expanding the use of detention, establishing offshore return hubs, and weakening safeguards against refoulement.”
In a separate and controversial development, the European Commission last month extended an invitation to Taliban officials to visit Brussels to discuss the deportation of Afghan migrants. Human rights organizations warned that such a meeting could put Afghan nationals at risk and undermine core EU principles.
Both the Commission and the Swedish government, which is co-hosting the visit, maintained that the meeting is purely technical in nature and does not amount to formal recognition of Taliban authority.
According to a letter reviewed by Reuters and addressed to Abdul Qaher Balkhi, a Taliban foreign ministry spokesman, the visit was scheduled for June 22 to 23 and would center on “the return and readmission of Afghan nationals without a right to stay in the European Union.”
A spokesperson for the Belgian foreign minister confirmed Wednesday that Belgium had received visa applications from five members of the Taliban delegation, though the spokesperson said it was not yet clear when the visas would be granted or when the meeting would take place. The delegation is also subject to security screening.
The spokesperson made clear that Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot opposes the invitation entirely. “He does not approve of the choice to invite representatives of the Taliban regime to Brussels. He would never accept that the Belgian government, in its own name, invite these individuals for discussions in Belgium,” the spokesperson said.
The Commission stated last month that any deportations resulting from such talks would be limited to individuals “who pose a security risk.” Neither the Commission nor the Swedish migration minister confirmed the specific date of the meeting.
Western governments have refused to grant the Taliban official recognition since the hardline Islamist movement seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, ousting a government that had been backed by the United States and NATO.
