EU Leaders "New Legislation Must Be Established for the Repatriation of Illegal Immigrants"

Leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member states on the 17th (local time) urged that a new legislative proposal to accelerate the repatriation of illegal immigrants to their home countries must be urgently prepared.

In a joint statement adopted that afternoon, the EU leaders stated, "We call for decisive measures using all means and tools, including diplomatic, development, trade, and visa policies." They tasked the EU Executive Commission, the executive branch, with preparing countermeasures.

At the summit, immigration policy emerged as a key agenda amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment and the spread of far-right forces across various parts of Europe. Before the plenary session, a 'mini summit' on immigration policy was held in the morning, chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with leaders from 10 countries including the Netherlands and Hungary in attendance.

However, differences among member states were confirmed regarding detailed methodologies. The idea of establishing 'migrant repatriation hubs' in third countries was not explicitly mentioned in the joint statement due to opposition from some member states. This plan, proposed by EU Executive Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the summit, aims to transfer asylum seekers awaiting results to a kind of temporary detention facility in third countries. This measure is intended to block illegal immigrants who remain in the EU even after their asylum applications are rejected, but it has been criticized by human rights organizations as a de facto 'deportation measure.'

Germany argued for the early implementation of the new immigration and refugee agreement already agreed upon by EU member states. This agreement mandates the compulsory sharing of refugees among member states and requires financial or infrastructural support if a country refuses to accept refugees. The scheduled implementation date is June 2026. Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Hungary have opposed the 'mandatory refugee acceptance' and have announced their refusal to comply.

In the joint statement, the leaders also mentioned responding to the 'instrumentalization of migrants' by third countries such as Russia and Belarus, stating that "appropriate measures are necessary in exceptional circumstances." They also expressed solidarity with Poland and other member states facing these difficulties. Earlier, Poland sparked controversy by declaring a temporary suspension of asylum applications by immigrants to control refugees.