The European Commission is looking to accelerate the return of irregular migrants, with plans to introduce a new law aimed at creating a more effective European repatriation system.
In an interview with Sunday’s edition of Die Welt newspaper seen in advance by dpa, the European Union’s commissioner for migration, Magnus Brunner, said that he planned to propose legislation that would require returnees to cooperate with authorities, with harsh penalties for non-compliance.
The result must be that a return decision is actually enforced, Brunner said. He said that currently, only about one in five individuals subject to a return decision actually leave the EU — an outcome he deemed unacceptable.
Additionally, he pointed out that some dangerous individuals who are scheduled for deportation manage to slip through the system, leading to criminal activity.
Brunner also called for tougher regulations regarding returnees posing security risks, suggesting the possibility of detaining these individuals to prevent them from being at large while their return is processed.
A new, unified EU approach to migrant returns is set to be unveiled on March 11, according to the commission’s provisional agenda.
The EU return directive, established in 2008, sets common standards and procedures for returning non-EU nationals who are in the bloc without a legal right to remain.