EU politicians have finalised a new regulation aimed at increasing deportations of undocumented migrants, but critics say it mimics elements of the Trump administration's harsh immigration crackdown. The law, part of an overhauled EU asylum and migration system, allows national authorities to raid homes to enforce deportation orders and extends detention periods for non-compliant individuals.
Under the new rules, people facing deportation who are deemed uncooperative or a flight risk could be detained for up to 30 months, compared to the current 18-month limit. Benefits or allowances may be cut for those who refuse to comply. The regulation also permits the creation of offshore return hubs, where undocumented people could be held outside the EU pending return to their home countries.
The text, agreed in talks between the European Council, Parliament, and Commission, enables searches of homes and seizure of personal belongings to ensure compliance. Detention of unaccompanied minors and families with children is allowed as a last resort. People deemed a security risk could face a lifetime ban from the EU, up from the current 10-year maximum.
EU officials hailed the law as a step forward in migration management. Magnus Brunner, the European commissioner for migration, said it gives the bloc more control over who can enter, stay, or must leave. However, critics accuse the EU of copying US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices. Mélissa Camara, a Green MEP, said the text weakens procedural rights and endorses home raids.
Silvia Carta of the Platform for Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants warned the law would harm hundreds of thousands, locking people up for up to 30 months and sending them to unknown countries. She said Europe should learn from the harms of the ICE model, not build its own version. Currently, only about 20% of people with no right to stay in the EU are successfully returned.
