Europe Considers Sending Migrants to African Detention Centers Under New Return Regulation

Europe is moving towards a controversial new policy that could see asylum seekers denied entry sent to detention centers outside the EU, potentially in African nations like Tunisia and Rwanda. This measure is part of the bloc's updated Return Regulation, which received approval from the European Parliament in June and will be fully implemented within 12 months.

Mónica López, director general of the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR), explained that individuals who arrive in EU countries, apply for permits, and are subsequently denied could be transferred to these external centers. "In practice, people from Latin America, for example, who have not obtained a permit and remain in an irregular situation, could be sent to a return center outside the EU," she stated.

Human rights organizations are strongly opposing the regulation, primarily due to fears that it undermines the principle of non-refoulement, a fundamental aspect of asylum law that prohibits returning refugees to territories where they face danger. "We are extremely concerned that these rights could be violated and that the necessary guarantees to ensure the right to asylum will not be met," López added.

The Return Regulation is the final piece of the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, designed to foster solidarity among member states and enhance border control. The European Commission has indicated that these measures aim to assist member states in managing irregular migration by addressing it along migratory routes and offering support at departure points. However, critics argue that this externalization of borders places migrants in countries that do not have strong human rights records.

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En la práctica, personas de América Latina, por ejemplo, que no hayan obtenido un permiso y permanezcan en situación irregular, podrían ser enviadas a un centro de retorno fuera de la UE.