This Monday, the European Union (EU) took another step in tightening its immigration policy with new rules, by closing positions in the Council to speed up returns and speed up the rejection of asylum requests considered unfounded. The package includes the possibility of creating “return centers” in third countries, outside EU territory, and is now undergoing negotiations with the European Parliament before there is a final text.
According to information provided by Jornal de Notícias, the decision was taken in Brussels, at the “Justice and Home Affairs” Council, at a time when several European governments are facing internal pressure to show greater “control” over irregular immigration with new rules. The rotating presidency of the EU Council is currently held by Denmark (1 July to 31 December 2025), which has led some of the political push for more restrictive rules.
In parallel, the Council also reached a political agreement on the so-called “annual solidarity pool” for 2026, a mechanism of the Pact on Migration and Asylum that aims to alleviate countries under greater migratory pressure through relocations, financial contributions or alternative measures.
What are “return centers” and what was agreed
In the chapter on returns, the Council finalized its position on a new regulation to “accelerate and simplify” the procedures for returning people in an irregular situation. Among the new features are the creation of common EU-wide procedures, more cooperation instruments between Member States and the possibility of establishing “return centers” in third countries.
The text also reinforces duties for those who receive a return decision, such as cooperating with authorities, remaining available and providing identification documents (including biometric data). It also provides for consequences for non-cooperation, which could include benefit cuts, measures on work permits and criminal sanctions, in accordance with the Council’s position.
Another relevant point is the “mutual recognition” of return decisions: one country will be able to directly execute a decision made by another, to prevent the person from moving within the European space to escape the procedure. The proposal also includes a “European return order”, to be inserted in the SIS (Schengen Information System), to facilitate this cooperation.
“Safe third country” and “safe country of origin”: faster rules for immigration
In the area of asylum, the Council agreed its position on two pieces of legislation to make certain decisions more “quick and effective”, reinforcing the concepts of “safe third country” and “safe country of origin”. The declared intention is to speed up processes when, in the authorities’ view, there is no need for international protection within the EU.
Regarding “safe third country”, the Council admits expanding the situations in which a request can be considered inadmissible (without analyzing the merits) because it is understood that the person could have requested protection in a country outside the EU that is considered safe. Among the criteria, prior transit and, above all, the existence of agreements with third countries to process requests outside Europe — and, according to the Council, the requirement of “connection” to the third country is no longer mandatory.
As for the EU’s first common list of “safe countries of origin”, the Council proposes to designate Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia. The logic is to allow accelerated procedures (including at the border or in transit zones) for nationalities presumed, from the outset, not to be exposed to persecution.
Why now: political pressure despite the drop in irregular entries
The legislative offensive of new rules comes despite indicators of a decline in irregular immigration in 2025: Frontex reported a 20% drop in irregular crossings in the first half of the year (with 75,900 detections), although with high pressure on routes such as the Central Mediterranean.
In Brussels, political discourse has insisted on the need to speed up returns and reduce the length of stay for those who see their request rejected. Criticism has also been strong: human rights organizations warn that stricter measures could push more people into risky situations and into legal “limbo”, especially if procedures are outsourced to third countries.
For now, what was agreed in the Council serves as the basis for negotiations with the European Parliament, which will have to approve (or amend) the new immigration rules before they come into force. In the case of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, application is scheduled from June 12, 2026, although the Council admits to speeding up some provisions.
Solidarity: 21 thousand relocations (or 420 million) and beneficiary countries
On the same day, the Council reached a political agreement to establish the “annual solidarity pool” for 2026, with a reference number of 21,000 relocations (or other equivalent efforts) or €420 million in financial contributions.
According to , the European Commission concluded that Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain are under migratory pressure and could benefit from the measures. Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia and Poland were identified as facing a significant migratory situation due to accumulated pressure and can request deductions, in full or in part, from contributions. Formal adoption must occur by December 31, 2025, after legal review and translations.
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