EU ministers agreed on new rules allowing sanctions for migrants who refuse to cooperate with return procedures, detention up to 24 months or longer for security risks, and return hubs outside the EU. Watch the video!
EU interior ministers met in Luxembourg on October 1, and agreed on stricter rules for returning migrants, shifting the bloc’s migration policy focus from paperwork to enforcement.
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During the Home Affairs Council, ministers decided that people without the right to stay must leave and cooperate with authorities. If they do not, they could face sanctions such as reduced benefits, fines, or criminal charges.
A new European Return Order would let countries choose to recognise each other’s return decisions, with a review planned after three years. For security risks, countries could impose indefinite entry bans and detention longer than 24 months. Return hubs outside the EU are also allowed. These rules exclude unaccompanied minors and will take effect in the coming weeks.
The push follows a Munich meeting on 26 September where Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said irregular arrivals dropped by 55% over two years. However, the number of people actually returned remains low. In 2025, the EU ordered nearly 492,000 people to leave, but only 135,000 did.
Greece’s migration minister, Thanos Plevris, said the first return hub could open in the second half of 2027 in an unspecified African country. The UN human rights office warned that the law lacks clear rules for monitoring, appeals, or conditions in host countries.