Overview
- Interior ministers meeting in Brussels are expected to give a first endorsement to three Commission texts tightening arrivals and returns.
- Plans include creating centers outside the EU for rejected asylum seekers, extending detention for those who refuse to leave, and allowing returns to EU-designated safe countries that are not the person’s origin.
- Negotiations continue on a burden-sharing system requiring states to relocate asylum seekers or pay €20,000 per person to frontline countries, with a decision targeted by year-end.
- Right and far-right groups in the European Parliament have fueled momentum, while NGOs and left-leaning parties warn of human-rights risks.
- France questions the legality and effectiveness of parts of the package, Spain is unconvinced by external hubs, and Belgium, Sweden and Austria say they will not accept relocations despite a recent drop in irregular arrivals.