French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed skepticism about the expanding proposal to establish “return hubs” for asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected, questioning whether the policy aligns with Europe’s core values. He emphasized that the approach is not only questionable in principle but has also not proven effective in practice.
Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez voiced their opposition during the latest European Union leaders’ summit to the creation of migrant detention or processing centres outside the EU’s borders. This position was taken despite growing support among an increasing number of European governments for such policies.
At Friday’s meeting, nineteen EU member state leaders signed a joint statement emphasizing the full implementation of the bloc’s new migration rules. These regulations make it possible to establish so-called “return hubs” to accommodate individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected.
A coalition led by Denmark and Italy, strong advocates of outsourcing migration management, has called for accelerating the implementation of measures based on cooperation with non-EU countries. Supporters argue that such initiatives could help curb irregular migration.
However, Macron and Sánchez maintain that the policy conflicts with Europe’s fundamental values and could, in addition to imposing financial costs, negatively affect the EU’s relations with neighbouring countries in Africa.
At the end of the summit, the French president said he was not convinced that the policy reflects the principles upon which Europe was founded. He also stated that he has yet to see any successful example of such a scheme, which is why he remains doubtful about its effectiveness.
Macron also stressed that while France supports stricter measures to combat irregular migration, it does not support transferring migrants to countries that have no connection to their migration routes. According to him, this issue is addressed within the framework of the new return regulation, which is considered one of the EU’s strictest migration frameworks.
He added that, in practice, the plan would involve relocating individuals who either do not wish to or cannot return to their countries of origin, and then settling them in third countries that agree to accept them in exchange for financial assistance.
The French president also criticized the use of the term “innovative solutions” to describe the policy, stating that such terminology should be used with greater caution when dealing with matters of values and human rights.
On the other hand, Pedro Sánchez described these centres as an “ineffective” and “useless” solution to irregular migration, arguing that their implementation would waste financial resources, which he said are already limited in Europe.
Sánchez further warned that the policy sends the wrong message to countries of origin and transit, with whom the European Union should instead strengthen cooperation and coordination.
Macron echoed these concerns, stating that France would not support EU funding for the construction of such centres. He stressed that these initiatives are neither practically effective nor consistent with the principles and values upheld by the European Union.
The French president concluded by saying that, in order to maintain its credibility in Africa, Europe must be careful in how it allocates its financial resources, and cannot simultaneously emphasize development and cooperation while funding the establishment of migrant return centres in those same countries.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
