The European Parliament has backed tougher rules to deport illegal migrants, approving reforms aimed at enforcing return orders that have often gone ignored.
The Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) passed the proposal on Monday by 41 votes to 32, with one abstention, reflecting a growing shift in Brussels toward stricter migration enforcement.
Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers, who pushed for a stricter approach during negotiations, said the vote sends a clear signal that attitudes in Parliament are changing.
“Today the European Parliament is sending a very clear signal that we do not have a functioning migration policy when people who are not supposed to be in the EU are incentivised to stay,” he said after the vote.
According to Weimers, the majority that backed the proposal—including groups such as ECR, PPE, Patriots and ESN—reflects a change from the Parliament’s traditionally more lenient stance on migration issues.
The measure is part of wider changes to EU migration policy under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, but it focuses on one of the system’s biggest problems: deportation orders that are often never enforced. For years, thousands of migrants whose asylum requests were rejected have remained in Europe because authorities struggled to carry out return decisions.
The reform is meant to tackle this by speeding up procedures and increasing pressure to ensure expulsion orders are actually enforced.
One of the key changes is the introduction of a legal duty for migrants who receive a return order to cooperate with authorities. Those ordered to leave the EU will be required to assist officials in arranging their departure.
Longer detention to prevent migrants disappearing
The reform also introduces stronger measures for cases where migrants subject to a return decision refuse to cooperate.
EU countries will be able to detain illegal migrants for up to 24 months if there is a risk they may disappear before deportation, refuse to cooperate with authorities, or pose a security risk.
The aim is to prevent migrants from vanishing before their expulsion can take place.
Weimers highlighted this as one of the most significant changes in the proposal.
“This opens the door to longer periods of detention to prevent people from absconding before the return can be carried out,” the Swedish MEP said.
The text also allows alternatives to detention, including regular reporting to authorities, residence in a designated location, financial guarantees or electronic monitoring.
A return order valid across Europe
The reform would also introduce a “European return order” recognised across the Schengen area.
Deportation decisions issued by one EU country would be entered into the Schengen Information System and recognised by other member states.
The change aims to close a loophole that has allowed migrants expelled from one country to move to another EU state where the process has to begin again.
According to the European Commission’s timetable, mutual recognition of these decisions should be fully implemented before July 2027.
Weimers also highlighted plans for so-called “return hubs” or return centres in countries outside the EU.
“The most important change is that it opens the door to more flexible return hubs outside the European Union,” he said.
The idea is to address another major obstacle to deportations: some countries of origin refuse to take back their citizens.
Talks between the European Parliament, EU governments and the European Commission could begin in the coming weeks if Parliament’s plenary formally approves the start of negotiations.
Despite the proposed reforms, the broader debate over Europe’s migration system remains unresolved.
For years, EU statistics have shown that only a minority of migrants ordered to leave the bloc are actually returned to their countries of origin. The reform approved in committee is intended to close that gap—though whether it will significantly increase deportations remains to be seen.
