On Thursday, March 26, 2026 the European Parliament made a hard pivot to the political right by approving a new law that will speed up the return of illegal immigrants in larger numbers by building deportation centers located outside of the European Union, along with stricter immigration rules. The law also increases the legal detention period up to two years and imposes unlimited entry bans in the EU on those immigrants returned to their countries of origin.
What’s being referred to as the “return regulation” is a critical component of a new plan to increase the rate of illegal aliens being deported from the EU and is a cornerstone of the new European push to drop the hammer on illegal immigration. Much like the approach President Donald Trump is taking in the United States, the new law allows EU countries to send illegal aliens to nations unrelated to their origins, so long as there is a bilateral agreement in place with a non-EU state to establish “return hubs” in their territories.
The legislation was backed by 389 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). A total of 206 were against the bill, with 32 abstentions. Once the vote concluded, many of those in attendance burst into applause and cheers. The final version of the new rule will be discussed between Parliament and EU member states. However, negotiations are expected to go smoothly as there is little difference between the two texts.
According to Euronews, both MEPs and EU countries want to ensure that the deportations to third countries for families that have children, excluding only unaccompanied minors. Parliament and Council are also working to change the automatic suspensive effect of appeals. Under current law, these appeals suspend the deportation of any illegal migrant until a final judgment is handed down.
Parliament’s version of the bill tacked on a provision that allows talks with “non-recognized third country entities” for the purpose of readmission, which could lead to cooperation with non-democratic regimes to send people back. “The adopted text gives a green light to the cooperation with the Talibans to enable the forced return of Afghan nationals. It is a total renouncement of the EU values,” Green MEP Melissa Camara said in an interview with Euronews.
For individuals deemed to pose a security risk, the Parliament included a permanent entry ban. These bans, which used to be only 20 years in duration for member states, can now be for an unlimited amount of time. Comparing the texts of the law, Parliament’s version is less strict than the Council’s. One example deals with the maximum detention period for illegal immigrants waiting to be returned to their home countries.
Parliament suggests 24 months, while member states say 30. Parliament also cut a provision that allowed immigration authorities to search the place of residence or “other relevant places” where a third-country national with an expulsion order could be found. According to the report, this means there could be raids conducted similar to the ones in the United States being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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In order to get the bill passed into law, the European People’s Party (EPP), comprised of mainstream conservatives, joined forces with what the report calls “far-right groups,” despite doing so leading to some serious backlash, which carried over from the initial drafting of the legislation. Only EPP MEPs from Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland, and Finland were opposed to the law or abstained from voting.
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