Deal reached : illegal migrants must now return

Today, Europe took an important step towards regaining control over migration, with Parliament and Member States agreeing on a new Return Regulation.

"For too long, Europe has had a system where return orders were routinely ignored," said François-Xavier Bellamy MEP, the EPP Group negotiator on the file.

"Let’s be clear: four out of five non-EU nationals who have received a formal return decision from a Member State do not leave. That is not a functioning system. That is failure. Today, we are ending that situation by facilitating returns, extending detention periods, removing the automatically suspensive effect of appeals, and providing a legal framework for return hubs in third countries. This is not just another piece of legislation, but the condition for regaining control of migration policy in Europe," Bellamy added.

The new Regulation replaces the outdated 2008 Return Directive and gives Member States stronger tools to enforce return decisions, including a new European Return Order that will facilitate the mutual recognition and enforcement of returns across Europe. The agreement reinforces the obligations and increases consequences for non-cooperation, introduces specific measures for individuals who pose a security risk, reduces the risk of absconding, and ensures that the external dimension of the return policy forms an integral part of the comprehensive approach to migration, using as a leverage all EU relevant policies and tools, including visa policy, trade or development.

"For years, Europe sent the worst possible message: even if you had no right to stay, chances were high that nothing would happen," Bellamy added. "That era is ending. If you have no right to stay in Europe, you will have to leave."

"The EPP promised to restore control of migration. Today, we are delivering concrete rules with real consequences. With this new law, we are completing the final pillar of the Migration Pact and giving Member States the tools to enforce our migration laws. A migration system without effective returns is a system without credibility,” said Tomas Tobé MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chair and the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on the Migration Pact.

The agreement will now move to formal approval by the European Parliament and the EU Member States.