EU Approves Plan to Send Migrants, Including Families, to Third Countries

The European Union is moving forward with a plan to increase deportations, even if it means sending people to countries with poor human rights records. On June 17, the European Parliament approved a new Return Regulation that allows for longer detention, forced removals, and the use of “return hubs” outside the EU. Two days later, 19 EU member states signed a letter supporting the idea. The plan would send people, including families with children, to a third country if they cannot be deported directly to their home country. Many details remain unclear. It is unknown if people will be detained, for how long, or if they will be sent onward to dangerous places. It is also unclear if they will have access to justice or a chance to rebuild their lives in a country they have no connection to. Five countries—Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and the Netherlands—have shown interest in creating a joint return hub. Possible locations include Rwanda, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Kazakhstan. All of these countries have serious human rights problems. Human Rights Watch warns that deporting people to third countries puts them at risk of arbitrary detention, abuse, and “chain refoulement”—being returned to a place where they face danger. Similar policies by the United States have already caused harm. EU leaders who oppose the plan, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, should demand strong protections before any money is spent. At a minimum, these should include a human rights review, individual assessments before transfers, clear rules on treatment, effective legal remedies, and independent monitoring. Experts say none of the countries under consideration would pass such a review.