German Green lawmaker Filiz Polat warns EU Return Hubs as Trump‑like deportation scheme

On World Refugee Day (June 20 2026), Filiz Polat, the parliamentary leader of the Greens in the German Bundestag, sharply criticised the European Union’s plan to set up “Return Hubs” for asylum seekers who have no residency rights in the EU and cannot be sent back to their home countries. She said Interior Minister Nancy Dobrindt is the driving force behind the measure and is steering the EU toward a “Trump‑like deportation system.”

Polat linked the proposal to the broader GEAS reform, noting that the European Parliament recently voted, with support from centrist, right‑wing and extremist groups, to detain families with children in camps outside EU jurisdiction. She warned that such a hard‑line approach would empower right‑wing parties and called for stronger integration measures and genuine prospects for refugees who are already part of German and European society.

"Innenminister Dobrindt ist treibende Kraft dieser neuen Regelung und hilft dabei, die EU in Richtung eines Trump‑ähnlichen Abschiebesystems zu führen," Polat said.