UN and French President condemn EU plan for external migrant return hubs

The European Parliament approved a controversial reform that would allow EU member states to negotiate agreements with third‑country governments to establish external "return hubs" for migrants whose asylum claims have been rejected. The scheme is intended to speed up deportations, and supporters such as Denmark, Italy and Austria argue it could deter irregular migration.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the plan poses a high risk of human‑rights violations, emphasizing the principle of non‑refoulement and stating that vulnerable people, including children, must not be sent to places where they could face serious harm. He cautioned that the EU cannot shift its responsibilities onto other nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will not host such hubs, calling them ineffective and incompatible with French principles, and opposed using the EU budget to fund them. He stressed that any return measures must respect national policies and human‑rights standards, echoing criticism from NGOs and the political left about the possible creation of “zones of lawlessness.”